Box Score MOREHEAD, Ky.- After the Belmont University baseball team (13-10) combined to score 31 runs in the first two games of the series, it saw its bats quieted by Morehead State (14-9), who came away with a 9-0 victory in the series rubber match Saturday afternoon at Allen Field.
The Bruins were stymied for just three hits on the afternoon as MSU starter Aaron Leasher struck out a career-high 12 and went the distance for the first time in his career.
The first five innings featured just four combined hits as both teams were held scoreless. Bruin starter Tyler Vaughn (2-1) and Leasher went toe to toe in what was a pitcher's duel between the two starting hurlers.
The 9-0 final score is a tad misleading as both team's battled in a highly-contested battle for the majority of the duration. Vaughn finished with 6.1 innings pitched as he gave up four earned runs in his third start of the season. Vaughn fell in a hard luck loss, despite striking out six and working effectively with all three of his pitches.
The Bruins now have a 4-1 record in series and fall to 3-3 in OVC play.
After both pitchers were locked in through the first five innings, Belmont looked as if it had a potential rally going as Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) led off the frame with a bunt base hit. The three hole hitter Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) then moved over the speedy Walsh with a sacrifice bunt. In stepped Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who connected with the Leasher offering and drove it into centerfield, only to see MSU's Ryan Kent rob him of extra bases. Kent, who scaled the wall to make the grab, then threw the ball in to double off Walsh at second base and quell the Bruin rally.
Often times in baseball a player makes a great play and then subsequently leads off when his team comes to bat, Kent did just that as he opened the bottom of the sixth with a double down the left field line. Kent would come around to score in the inning along with Alex Stephens as Morehead lead 2-0 after six complete.
After going six innings and allowing just two runs, Vaughn came back out for the seventh. The Jonesboro, Ill. native was greeted with a homerun before registering his first out of the inning. Vaughn left the game after registering just one out in the inning before Josh Tubbs (Camden, Tenn.) came on in relief. The Eagles would push three more across in the inning and after the score was tight for most of the contest, Morehead State held a 6-0 lead after seven innings were in the books.
MSU added three more off the Bruin bullpen in the eighth to stretch its lead to 9-0.
In addition to Walsh's bunt hit, the Bruins had just two others as they came off the bats of Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and Desi Ammons (Hohenwald, Tenn.).
Belmont is now 7-3 in its last 10 games.
Belmont fell in the series, but outscored the Eagles 31-29 over the three game set.
The Bruins return to action Tuesday, March 29 when they take on No. 5 Vanderbilt at First Tennessee Park. First pitch for Tuesday's game is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
