Box Score Charleston, Ill.- After falling behind 6-1 early in the ball game, behind a season-high six homeruns the Belmont University baseball team (21-16, 10-6) stormed back for a 21-9 victory at Coaches Stadium over the host Eastern Illinois Panthers, Friday evening in Charleston, Ill.
Kyle Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) both homered twice in the come from behind win. Conger picked up career highs in hits (4) and RBI (7) along with a grandslam. Washington had three hits and four runs driven in along with his two long homeruns.
Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.) picked up three hits, four RBI and a homerun in the win while Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) also drove in four and blasted a homer of his own. Chas Hadden, one of five to pick up multi-hit games, produced two hits.
After Belmont scored a run in the top of the second, EIU rallied for six runs in the bottom of the inning to claim a 6-1 advantage. The Bruins added two in the top of the third to draw closer at 6-3, but after five innings were in the books it was EIU leading 7-3.
Aaron Quillen (Kingsport, Tenn.) lasted a season-low 4.1 innings as he battled but ran into some tough luck in the early going. The senior RHP gave up seven runs (only three earned) and struck out seven.
In the sixth the Bruins staged a ferocious, 10 run rally and took control of the game. BU's 10 runs scored in the top of the sixth were a season high for runs in a single inning.
Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.), who scored three runs in contest, was the spark plug Belmont needed as he opened the sixth inning with a bunt base hit to third. With the third basemen back, Walsh placed one in between third and the pitcher as he has done so many times this season to get the Bruin offense rolling. The first four Bruins reached base to start the rally as Kocher and Fullerton picked up crucial hits to drive in runs early on in the inning. After Fullerton tied the game with a doulble to right,Washington put the Bruins back ahead with his first of two long balls. Then after the Bruins loaded the bases with a trio of walks, Conger homered to straight away center to put the exclamation point on the rally. Six hits and 10 runs later, the shape of the game had totally shifted.
After facing a four run deficit after five innings, all the sudden the Bruins led by five just an inning later, at 13-8. In innings 7-9 the Bruins combined to scored eight more runs to put things out of reach in Charleston.
Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) picked up his fourth victory of the season as he provided Belmont with 3.2 innings of work out of the pen. Klotz gave up two runs (one earned) as he helped stabilize things for BU.
Brendon Allen received the no decision for EIU as he went five innings giving up seven earned and Jake Haberer was saddled with the loss, falling to 1-2.
Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who began at designated hitter for the Bruins, came on in the ninth and hurled a scoreless frame.
The game combined for 30 runs, 31 hits and four errors. Some sloppy play defensively from the Bruins early in the game led to some trouble, but ultimately their bats would be the difference in the slugfest.
With 21 runs scored in the victory, the Bruins have now surpassed the 20 run mark five times on the season.
The Bruins and Panthers resume their three-game set tomorrow afternoon as the squads meet up for a 1 p.m. showdown at Coaches Stadium.
