Box Score CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.- Just around 25 miles or so from his hometown, RHP Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill.) delivered a terrific pitching performance guiding the Belmont University baseball team (30-25, 16-13) to a 4-3 win at SEMO (35-17, 22-7) Friday night at Capaha Field.
With the magic number sitting at one entering the contest, the Bruins took care of business Friday night and clinched an OVC Tournament berth with the impressive road victory at conference-leading SEMO. The Bruins were powered by two homeruns along with the outstanding effort from the pitching staff.
Vaughn finished with 7.1 innings pitched and allowed just two runs. The sophomore scattered four hits as he pitched into the eighth inning for the Bruins.
Clay Payne (Powell, Tenn.) and Desi Ammons (Hohenwald, Tenn.) both added homers for the Bruins and Belmont now has 72 homeruns as a team, a new single season program record.
Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) pitched admirably en route to a five-out save. With the bases full in the last of the ninth and the tying run just 90 feet away, Veltri induced a crucial ground out to first basemen Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) who scooped it up and tossed it to Veltri for the 27th out of the ball game.
The Bruins outhit the Redhawks, 9-8 and received multi-hit performances from Payne and Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.). Payne hit his team-high 23rd double of the season in the ninth inning as he climbed into third place all-time in the Belmont single season record books. With his two runs driven in Payne now has 16 multi-RBI games on the year, tops on the club.
After Vaughn and SEMO starter Clay Chandler exchanged scoreless frames through the first three stanzas, SEMO broke the ice in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer from Chris Osborne. Facing a 1-0 deficit now in the top of the fifth Belmont didn't waste much time, responding quickly with a two-run inning. It was Payne who put the Bruins on the board with a solo homer to dead center to ties things up at 1-1. Holland, the next batter due up, socked a double to left to continue the Bruin rally. After Ammons moved Holland up 90 feet with a flyout, left fielder Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) came through with a clutch hit to give the Bruins the lead, 2-1.
Both pitchers were locked in and cruised through ensuing innings until Belmont struck again in the eighth. It was the senior Ammons who provided the Bruins with some crucial insurance with a solo homer in the top of the eighth. The additional score would loom large as SEMO chipped away for a run in the bottom of the inning.
Osborne's solo homer in the fourth was the first hit Vaughn gave up in his masterful outing, and it was the only hit he conceded through six innings of duty.
After pitching around a lead-off double in the seventh, Vaughn was unable to do the same in the eighth as SEMO pushed across its third run. Vaughn registered an out in the eighth before Josh Tubbs (Camden, Tenn.) entered in relief with a runner on first. After giving up a single, and falling behind the next batter 1-0, Tubbs was lifted in favor of Veltri. Veltri came up clutch at this juncture, recording a strikeout and flyout to hold SEMO at bay.
With the score now 3-2, the Bruins kept their foot on the gas scoring again in the top of the ninth to grow the advantage to two scores. After Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) led off the inning with a single to left, Payne launched a double into the leftcenter gap to score him all the way from first.
SEMO would come dangerously close in the ninth, but Veltri managed to limit the damage to just one score thus preserving Belmont's 30th win of the season.
While the seeding is not set, the OVC Tournament field is. SEMO, Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Tennessee Tech and Belmont will be the teams represented in Jackson.
Vaughn, who was actually born in Cape Girardeau, had a strong contigency of friends and family in attendance as he twirled a brilliant game for Belmont.
Veltri finished with 1.2 innings pitched and notched his team-high fifth save of the year.
With their 30th win the Bruins surpass last season's 29 win season.
The Bruins and Redhawks meet for the series rubber match tomorrow at 2 p.m. from Capaha Field.
