Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- After scoring 14 runs in last night's game, the Belmont offense continued its hot hitting as it overpowered Army 20-7, Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park in the final game of the Mule Mix Classic.
"I was really pleased today with our performance at the plate. I thought up and down the lineup our guys did a very good job of putting together quality at bats," remarked Head Coach Dave Jarvis after BU's victory. "Our hitters stayed within themselves and didn't try to do too much. Our focus was very good tonight, we showed that by putting together a string of very strong offensive innings. I really liked our mentality tonight."
Offensively, several Bruins excelled but leadoff hitter Ben Kocher (Evansville, Ind.) may have had the best day of all as he finished with four runs batted in on two hits including a homerun to centerfield. Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) BU's two hole batter finished with three hits and three RBIs. Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) batting third for the first time this season again had a successful day at the dish with a two hit game as did cleanup hitter Desi Ammons (Hohenwald, Tenn.) BU's 1-4 hitters went 9-for-20.
Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) finished 3-for-4 with a pair of walks and his first homerun as a Belmont Bruin. Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) registered two hits while drawing a walk. Nick Egli (Brentwood, Tenn.) also notched a pair of knocks along with his two RBIs.
Casey Queener (Brentwood, Tenn.) was outstanding out of the Bruin bullpen as he logged 6.2 innings and limited Army to just one run. Queener also struck out six and helped settle things down during a crucial strech in the ball game.
"I was very impressed with Casey Queener tonight. He did such a great job for us. He really picked up Dylan King, and gave our offense a chance to come back and get the lead," added Jarvis.
Belmont finished with 19 hits and 20 runs scored.
The Bruins faced an early 3-0 deficit, as Dylan King (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was roughed up early in his second collegiate start. Playing at Rose Park on a day like today though, conventional wisdom would suggest that 3-0 would likely not be the final score.
Belmont answered in the bottom of the opening frame with two quick runs. BU's top three hitters with at least 15 plate appearances, Washington, Ammons and Ward all made an early impact. Washington and Ammons both reached on singles, and Ward, hitting in the five slot for the first time, smacked a triple down the right field line to plate two runs.
King allowed two more runs in the second inning before Queener entered the game with just one out in the second. Queener would work out of trouble and limit the Army tally to just two in the stanza.
Queener worked a 1-2-3 in the top of the third before Belmont came to bat in the bottom. The centerfielder Washington sparked another Belmont rally in this inning when he led off with a single and commenced to swipe second. Payne, who reached via walk, and Washington both were driven in by Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) who doubled.
Army tied the game in the fourth as it notched an unearned run off Queener who botched a comebacker. BU went back ahead in the bottom of the inning when Kocher hit his second roundtripper of the year.
The Bruins would not trail from this point forward as they tightened things up defensively behind the outstanding effort by Queener and combined for back-to-back monster innings in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring seven and four runs, respectively.
Belmont claimed control of the game with the seven run fifth inning as it forced Army to trot out three different pitchers in frame.
Belmont added two runs each in the seventh and eighth to help expand its lead and cruise to its fourth win of the year.
The Bruins scored in every inning but the second this afternoon.
Eight of the nine Belmont starters finished with at least two hits.
The Bruins return to action this Tuesday, March 1, as they hosts Western Kentucky for a 4 p.m. tilt at Rose Park.
