Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Sophomore Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) drove home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth Sunday afternoon, as the Belmont University baseball team (11-8) won its fourth-straight series, knocking off the visiting Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 6-5 at E.S. Rose Park.
Ward, who finished 2-for-3 on the day, laced a single into right field to drive in Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and sent the Bruins home as walk off winners.
"I was just looking for something I could get behind, and possibly elevate. The pitcher fell behind 2-0, so at that point I was really looking for something that I could drive in the winning run with and send us home," remarked Ward after his team's dramatic victory.
Trailing 5-3 midway through the sixth inning, Belmont tied the game at 5-5 after Ward launched a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth. The Bruins, for the second game in a row, fell behind early but showed resiliency to rally back.
"We have great team chemistry. Nobody is frozen in the dugout, there's no permafrost," said Ward. "Everyone is loose and trusts each other."
Josh Tubbs (Camden, Tenn.) earned his second victory of the week as he provided two innings of scoreless relief in the eighth and ninth inning for BU. Tubbs relieved starter Tyler Vaughn(Jonesboro, Ill.) who was terrific on the afternoon, striking out nine EKU batters in seven innings pitched. Vaughn was booked for five earned runs but was a bit unlucky as EKU hit two homeruns into a jet stream in rightfield at Rose Park. Tubbs put up two crucial zeros in the latter innings for Belmont.
"My fast ball had a little permafrost on it today. We kept going with the fastball and my slider really came around. Vaughn set a good tone for us and I picked up where he left off," said Tubbs. "This is definitely a huge victory for us. Walk off wins are the best," said Tubbs.
Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) finished with two hits and all three of his RBIs game on one swing of the bat when he hit a towering three-run blast to left center field to put the Bruins ahead in the bottom of the fourth. The Bruins faced a 2-0 deficit as EKU got to Vaughn in the top of the third for two scores, but Payne's third long ball of the season helped swing the momentum towards the home team.
"In the fall, we really focused on being able to come back from deficits. We want to be known as a team that battles and doesn't give up when the going gets tough. Wearing our permafrost camoflague jerseys, it was a total team effort today for us," said Payne.
Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) had a three hit day and scored two runs, playing table setter for BU.
After Payne's homerun gave Belmont a 3-2 lead, EKU answered with a three-run homer of its own in the top of the sixth as Luke Wurzelbacher elevated a Vaughn pitch high into the air and over the right field fence. After six and a half innings, Belmont suddenly trailed BU 5-3.
But just as suddenly as the lead vanished, it returned in BU's favor after Ward connected for a two run shot to even things up in the bottom of the frame. After six innings the ball game was tied at five.
Both teams were held scoreless until Belmont's decisive rally in the last of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Holland reached on an error by the EKU second basemen, Hadden kept the rally going with a single and Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) reached on a base on balls to load things up for Ward, who capitalized and drove in BU's sixth and final score.
Tubbs felt confident with Ward stepping up to the plate in crunch time, stating, "Terry (Alex Ward) is an awesome player. He's one of the best guys to put up at bat in that situation."
Head Coach Dave Jarvis praised Ward's consistency saying, "I have to tip my cap to Alex Ward. He's been doing such a consistent, steady job for us at the plate."
Belmont is now 4-0 in series on the year, and improves to 2-1 in OVC play.
"I think we just take each game as its own entity. Winning series is all about taking it one game at a time. Our team is continuing to grow, I like the progress we've made so far," added Jarvis.
It was a very highly contested series, as all three games were decided by one run with BU coming out favorably in two of the narrow verdicts.
"It feels really good. This is my favorite series win so far, because these conference wins are just huge for us going forward. They're a good team, we're fortunate to come out with a series win," added Payne.
Belmont takes a short break from OVC play, as it returns to action Tuesday to host cross-town foe Lipscomb.
"Every conference game counts. Winning this series today could mean a lot come tournament time, seeding wise," remarked Ward.
