Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Belmont University baseball team (20-14, 9-5) fell 6-5 in 10 innings to the visiting Austin Peay Governors (20-13, 11-6), Saturday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park in game two of the conference clash.
The Bruins committed a season-high five errors including two that led to Austin Peay's eventual game-winning run in the top of the 10th.
Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) suffered the loss and falls to 0-2 on the season.
Kyle Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.) led the way with a team-high three hits including a bunt hit on a crucial safety squeeze in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) added two doubles.
Connor Etheridge (Springfield, Ill.) was a bright spot on the bump for Belmont as he logged 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Austin Krezminski (Roswell, Ga.) made his sixth start of the season, lasting four innings and giving up three earned runs. Krezminksi battled for Belmont, but during his time on the mound three errors were committed behind him. He finished with three strikeouts.
After retiring the first two with ease in the top of the first, Krezminski ran into some trouble. What looked to be the third out of the inning on a routine grounder to Walsh at shortstop resulted in an error as the junior's throw ran wide. APSU's Logan Grey, who reached on the error, stole second and third and after a walk the Governors had a first and third situation with two outs. Walsh's second error of the inning resulted in a score and an unearned run for Krezminski.
After just three hits in last night's ball game, the Governors equaled that total just five outs into Saturday's contest.
Austin Peay pushed across another run in the second, before BU got on the board in the bottom of the frame. After Washington came within a few feet of homerun to lead off the inning, Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) was able to keep his just fair down the left field line. Payne's team-high seventh homerun of the year trimmed the Governor lead to just 2-1.
The Govs came back for two additional runs in the top of the third. The damage could have been greater but Walsh made a spectacular play, making a sliding grab in short left field.
BU got back into things in the fourth after Washington led off the inning with a single to left. Belmont, one of the nation's best base stealing clubs, showed why in the inning as Washington successfully swiped second and third. Washington would come around to score when Walsh shot one down the left field line for a standup double.
Belmont finished with seven stolen bases.
After errors were the story for the Bruins early in the contest, the Governors caught the error bug in the fifth. Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.) reached on an error by the APSU third basemen to lead things off and then Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) got on after a catcher's interference call. In stepped Belmont's leading hitter Hadden. After rolling up five double plays in last night's game, the Governors got another off the bat of Hadden in a crucial spot. With Kocher now at third with two outs, it looked like Austin Peay may escape the jam unscathed. Fullerton had other plans however, as he launched his third homerun of the year into deep left center field. Fullerton continues to drive the ball as he entered the game with a team-high .729 slugging percentage.
In the sixth the Bruins scored the equalizing run to draw even at 5-5. After Walsh ripped another standup double down the left field line, Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) walked but during the base on balls Walsh stole third. With runners on the corners, Coach Jarvis called for the safety squeeze from Conger. Conger bunted one back to the pitcher on the third base side but the reliever Zach Neff's throw sailed high over the first basemen's head, which allowed Walsh to come home and Holland to advance all the way to third.
It looked like the Bruins may jump ahead when with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Conger shot one through the gap between first and second to set the table for the Bruins. Conger stole second and third before Kocher walked putting runners at first and third. Ward came up with the go ahead run at third base, and with a 1-2 count looked like he would have extra bases but his drive down the right field line bounced just foul. Austin Peay dodged a bullet as it got out of the inning with the scored still tied at five.
Etheridge retired 13-straight Governor hitters before Dre Gleason reached on a walk in the top of the ninth. Etheridge fell behind the next hitter 2-1, and was lifted in favor of Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.). Veltri battled with his first hitter but walked him on a 3-2 count. After a chopper back to the pitcher resulted in the inning's second out, Veltri's day ended as Washington and Veltri switched spots. Washington, who entered with runners on second and third, slammed the door on the APSU attack and kept things at a stalemate.
Washington nearly ended things but his walk off homerun bid was just foul down the left field line in the bottom of the ninth.
After Washington was greeted with a pinch hit single from APSU's Wesley Purcell. Jarvis moved Washignton back to right and Veltri back to the mound. Veltri recorded the first out on a sacrifice bunt as Purcell advanced to second base. Veltri then walked a batter to put runners on first and second with just one out. With Imani Willis at the dish, Veltri missed on a wild pitch and with both runners advancing the Belmont catcher, Payne, tried to nail Purcell who was gunning for third base. Payne's throw was errant and skipped into left field, Purcell would come all the way around to score the eventual game-winning run.
The Bruins fell in order in the last of the tenth.
The teams meet tomorrow for the series rubber match at E.S. Rose Park. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. CT at Rose Park.
