Box Score Charleston, Ill.-The Belmont University baseball team (21-17, 10-7) saw the Eastern Illinois Panthers walk away with a walk off, 9-8 victory as a wild pitch brought Dane Toppel into score the game's winning run in the 10th inning Saturday afternoon in Charleston, Ill.
The Bruins led 8-7 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but ultimately could not hold on for the win in the second game of the three game set. The Panthers scored the game-tying run in the eighth on a wild pitch before Toppel touched home on a wild pitch in the 10th.
The Bruins were out hit 14-8, but clung onto a lead late into the game. After Belmont starter RHP Austin Krzeminski (Roswell, Ga.) and EIU hurler Chase Thurston both left the game before the fifth, it turned out to be a battle of the bullpens at Coaches Stadium. EIU's Andy Fisher was excellent in relief allowing just one earned run over six innings while BU's Connor Etheridge (Springfield, Ill.) pitched five innings, scattering three runs. Etheridge provided the Bruins with big innings in the hard-fought loss.
Offensively, Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) paced the Bruins with two hits and three runs driven in. One of Washington's knocks was a three-run homer, which was his team-high eighth roundtripper and his third in two games. Washington's three-run jack to right center was Belmont first hit of the game and highlighted a four-run third innings for the Bruins.
Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) came through with a two hit and two RBI game while Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) registered a hit and an RBI.
After six innings the teams had played even at 6-6. Belmont pushed across the go-ahead run and an additional score in the seventh to jump ahead 8-6 as a Fullerton single put the visiting Bruins on top.
Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.) and Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) each scored two runs in the Saturday set back.
Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) was saddled with the loss and falls to 0-2 on the year.
The Bruins threatened in the 10th after a free pass to Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) began the frame. Walsh advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but with just one down the Bruins could not cash in as back-to-back Belmont batters popped out to diminish the threat.
Toppel led off the 10th with a walk after a 3-2 pitch from Velti just missed. EIU elected to play small ball as the first place hitter Joe Duncan dropped down a bunt towards the pitcher Veltri. Veltri fielded and immediately looked to second as he had the runner cut down with a strong throw but his attempt sailed high and off the glove of Walsh into short centerfield. By the time Belmont managed to track the ball down Toppel had already advanced all the way to third. With the winning run just 90 feet away, Veltri's first pitch to EIU's Cale Hennemann missed well short of the catcher Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) who saw the ball slide under his glove. Payne looked around, but just as he finally located the errant pitch Topell was crossing homeplate for the game-winning run.
The Bruins again had some struggles defensively as they committed three errors.
After setting season highs in seven statistical categories yesterday, the Bruins were held to eight hits in game two.
The Bruins and Panthers meet for a 1 p.m. CT tilt in the series rubber match at Coaches Stadium tomorrow.
