Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Belmont Bruins (20-15, 9-6) fell 6-3 in the series finale to the Austin Peay Governors (21-13, 12-6) Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park, as BU was held to just three hits.
Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) suffered the loss and falls to 3-3, as he gave up two earned runs in his 2/3 innings of work on the bump.
The Bruins scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to claim a 3-2 lead, but the Governors answered with a pivotal three run inning in the top of the seventh.
Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill.) picked up a quality start as he went six innings striking out six and allowing six hits. Vaughn received the no decision as left the ball game with his team ahead.
Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) had two of Belmont's three hits on the game.
With Sunday's loss, the Bruins dropped their first home series and just their second three-game set overall. The Governors move into sole possesion of third place in the OVC with a 12-6 record while BU falls to fourth at 9-6.
After the first inning resulted in zeros for both teams, Austin Peay's friday night starter Austin Robles, serving as the designated hitter in today's contest, greeted Vaughn with a homerun on the first pitch he saw to open the second inning. Robles was looking for the fast ball, got it and drove it well over the left field wall. Vaughn responded with three-straight outs though to limit the Governor scoring to one run in the second frame.
Belmont answered right back during its turn at bat to tie things up. After a Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) ground out, Walsh jumped on the first offering he saw and stroked a line drive into the left center gap. While most would have probably cruised into second with a standup double, the long-striding Walsh made it all the way to third with his second triple of the year. Rafael Bournigal (Mulberry, Fla.) did his job with a sac fly to left to plate BU's first run.
The score would remain knotted at 1-1 until the fourth when the Governors loaded the bases with no one to open the fourth inning. After Ridge Smith and Vaughn battled to the tune of a 3-2 count, the sophomore hurler reared back with some high heat to earn the crucial punchout with the bases full. The next batter, Josh Wilson smacked one down the right field line but Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) dove to his left to rob him of extra bases and keep the ball in the infield. Despite the strong defensive play, the runner on third would come home to score. Vaughn would then coax a groundout and pick up another strikeout to slam the door and limit APSU to just the one. This was a key part in the game as it looked like the Govs had Vaughn on the ropes and that they were primed for a big inning.
In the fifth Vaughn made a sensational catch as a screaming line drive off the bat of Chase Hamilton was hit directly at him but somehow in a split second he managed to catch the liner to record the second out of the inning.
The Governors threatened again in the sixth but Vaughn managed to escape a first and second jam with no runs allowed. This was thanks in part to a great catch by the left fielder Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.). Fullerton ended the inning with a sensational grab in left field as he slammed into the wall and managed to hold on to the ball to end the inning.
After being held scoreless for four-straight innings, the Bruins came through with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to gain their first lead of the ball game. Fullerton started the BU rally when he reached on an error by the APSU third basemen. After Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) entered as a pinch runner for Fullerton, Payne drove a ball to deep center. With the sun shining in his eyes the APSU centerfielder lost it and Payne ended up picking up an RBI double to tie things up at 2-2. Walsh then poked one to shallow right to drive in Payne and give BU a 3-2 advantage.
The Governors though answered right back with a rally of their own in the top of the seventh. Kyle Klotz (Fairveiw, Tenn.), now on in releif of Vaughn, started the inning with a quick out before Austin Peay's Copeland singled to center to start what would be a three-run rally for the Govs. Copeland hit a low-lining ball to short center and it looked like Walsh had made a terrific play scoop the ball up before it hit the ground. Despite Walsh insisting that he had made the catch, it was a ruled a hit. The next batter, Hamilton, smoked a ground rule double down the right field line to place runners on second and third. After Austin Peay tied the game with a sacrifice fly, Klotz was removed from the game with a runner on third and two outs. On the second pitch from the new hurler, Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Dre Gleason stroked a two run homer to give the Govs a 5-3 lead. Belmont carried a 3-2 lead into the seventh but the Governors staged a crucial rally to take control of the game.
APSU added some insurance with a run on a solo homer in the eighth.
BU got some things going later in the game, but nothing would materialize in the hard-fought setback.
Belmont left six runners on in the game.
The Bruins resume action Tuesday, April 19 when they travel to Western Kentucky for a midweek clash with the Hilltoppers in Bowling Green, Ky.
