Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Belmont University baseball team (16-11, 6-3) earned its first series sweep of the season, as it defeated the UT Martin Skyhawks, 7-3 Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park in the series finale.
The Bruins improve to 6-3 in conference play.
Belmont excelled on the mound, in batter's box and in the field, as it was a nice all-around victory for the Bruins.
"To be quite honest with you I felt like Vaughn's performance on the mound was the difference maker for us. UT Martin's starting pitching was pretty good today they gave us some problems but our hitters remained focus and did a great job to combat it," said Head Coach Jarvis.
Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill.) provided seven innings of work, with two earned runs and six strikeouts. Vaughn improves to 3-1 on the year as he came through with a solid outing for the Bruins.
"I felt like I had laser vision today. I kept them off balance with my change up and curveball. I was able to bust them with my fastball when they were looking for my secondary pitches," remarked Vaughn after the victory.
Offensively the Bruins were led again by Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) who added two more hits to his weekend total of 10. Walsh launched his sixth homerun of the year in the fourh inning of the win. Walsh was one of four Bruins to record multi-hit games as Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.), Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) also did too. After a career-high four hits yesterday, Ward picked up three more in the Sunday matchup.
"Hitting is contagious. Everyone was locked in and had their laser vision working," said Walsh.
Ward, Belmont's clean up hitter a day ago, batted first in Sunday's go around and led things off with triple into the left center gap. Ward and the Bruins struck first with a first inning tally.
The Bruins added two more scores in the fourth. Fullerton and Walsh, who both entered the game swinging hot bats, scored the Bruins' runs in the inning. Fullerton led the inning off with a double to left before Walsh hit his team-high sixth homerun. After registering eight hits in the first two games of the series combined, Walsh remained in a groove and gave the Bruins some early breathing room with his towering homerun.
Walsh is now batting .444 in OVC tilts.
"Early on in the year I was struggling a little bit but we have made some tweaks in my mechanics. Thanks to the coaches because what we're doing now is really working," said Walsh.
The Bruins got back in on the scoring act in the fifth as Payne drove in Belmont's fourth run with a base hit through the right side. In stepped Walsh, who continued his incredible weekend with another base hit and another RBI. Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) and Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) both came around to score in the frame. After five innings were in the books Belmont led 5-0.
Washington scored two runs and Hadden drew two walks and scored a run of his own in the impressive Sunday triumph.
The Bruins scored runs six and seven in the sixth inning as Ward and Washington came around to again score. Fullerton picked up an RBI when he drove in Washington with a triple into the right center gap.
After allowing just three hits through six innings of work, UT Martin opened the seventh with a lead off triple off Vaughn and then scored its first run on an ensuing RBI groundout to second. The Skyhawks got to Vaughn for their second score when Nick Gavello homered to left center. Vaughn, the sophomore righty, eclipsed the 100 pitcher mark in the inning and it was his last frame of work.
Belmont carried a 7-2 lead into the eighth inning. UT Martin loaded the bases with just one man out in the eighth but Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) helped Belmont escape the jam with just one run allowed in what was a crucial point of the game. Veltri picked up his first save of the season.
Veltri recorded a perfect ninth inning to seal the deal.
BU put the lead off runner on in each of the first five innings. The Bruins finished with 11 hits as they finished with double digit hits in every game of the series.
"It is huge for us to get this series sweep. Definitely a team victory this weekend, every conference win is crucial for us," added Vaughn.
As noted, Belmont played some nice defense in the win. Fullerton made a great play to track down a fly ball down the right field line while Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) robbed UT Martin of extra bases with a sensational grab in left center. Holland made the catch and crashed into the wall but was able to hold on for the out.
"Coach gave us some words before the game and we just wanted to get in the bath tub and get after it," said Walsh after the victory.
Holland had one of three Belmont triples in the win.
Belmont returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Southern Illinois for a midweek battle with the Salukis on April 5. First pitch in Carbondale, Ill. is slated for 5 p.m. CT.
