Box Score JACKSON, Tenn.- After last night's game concluded at nearly 2 a.m. in the morning, the No. 6 Belmont Bruins didn't show any signs of fatigue as they held on for a momentous, 9-8 win over the No. 5 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Thursday afternoon at the Ballpark in Jackson. Belmont's postseason hopes remain alive as it lives to see another day at the OVC Baseball Tournament.
Freshman Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.), who finished with three hits and two RBI, came through in crunch time with an RBI single in the top of the ninth to score the Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.), the eventual game-winning run. After entering in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement, Holland stepped up to the plate for the first time in the game in the ninth and helped ignite the late rally.
"They were challenging me with a lot of fastballs, and I knew they would based on the series I had against them a couple of weeks ago. I knew they were going to come at me so I just kind of stuck the barrel on it and was able to connect," said Hadden after the win.
The game saw four lead changes and two ties as neither team would budge with their respective tournament lives on the line. Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) picked up the victory for Belmont as he logged 2.2 innings pitched and picked up the last three outs of the ball game to secure to victory.
"This win really shows some huge resilience from our team, and it shows what kind of character we have. This group of guys never stops fighting," added Hadden.
Hadden, Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Desi Ammons (Hohenwald, Tenn.), and Rafael Bournigal (Mulberry, Fla.) all finished with multi-hit games as the Bruins outhit the Golden Eagles, 13-11. Hadden and Fullerton both registered two-RBI performances and were catalysts for the Bruin offense all game.
With very humid conditions and running on almost no rest, the Bruins bested the Golden Eagles by showing tremendous resolve in all aspects of the game.
"I think it's a tremendous testament to the leadership and character of this team. You look at our upperclassmen, our captains, and the standard they've set, the tone they've set and I give an enormous amount of credit to those guys," said Head Coach Dave Jarvis. "The young guys have followed their lead and stepped in line, and I'm not shocked by it, but more so extremely proud of the effort we put forth today."
After just a few hours of sleep the night before, the Bruins came out with an abudance of energy, striking first in their first at bat of the game. After Hadden picked up his 59th walk of the season, Fullerton smoked a double to left and all the sudden BU was in business. Next, Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) nearly belted a three-homer down the rightfield line, but the umpires ruled it a foul ball. Instead he would have to settle for an RBI groundout as he put the Bruins on the board at 1-0.
Tennessee Tech came right back with a three-run bottom of the frame as Chase Chambers sent one over the leftfield wall off of Bruin starter Tyler Vaughn (Jonesboro, Ill) with two aboard. Tech led 3-1 after an inning was in the books.
Dealt an early blow, Belmont wasn't phased. The Bruins responded by manufacturing a pair of scores in the top of the second. After Ammons led off the inning with a single, he came around to score on a triple from the next batter Bournigal. Bournigal's drive nearly exited the ballpark to dead center but stayed in, caroming away from the centerfielder and allowing Ammons to score from first base. After showing some power, the Bruins played small ball as Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) laid down a bunt to push the runner on third, Bournigal, home.
"There were several times throughout the game that we easily could have folded up and just let it go, but our kids never did. No one on the mound did and no one in the batter's box or playing defense did, time and again our guys kept fighting and I'm very proud of that," added Jarvis.
The Bruins carried their momentum into the top of the third and scratched across another score to jump ahead 4-3. BU mounted a two-out rally which was capped off by another single from Ammons that drove in Washington. Back came TTU though, but this time it was OVC Co-Player of the Year Kevin Strohschein who went yard, putting the Golden Eagles back ahead 5-4 with his two-run jack.
In the top of the fourth Belmont regained the lead with a two-run rally. The senior Fullerton produced for Belmont with a two-RBI double into the leftcenter gap, just over the reach of TTU's Josh Pankratz.
The Bruins led 6-5 after four complete.
Again it was the Bruin bats wreaking havoc in the top of the fifth as they added two more scores and pushed their lead to 8-5.
Belmont scored a run in each of the first five innings as the offensive was clicking on all cylinders.
Vaughn, for the first time in his last 10 starts, failed to make it past the fifth inning as he finished with 4.1 innings pitched giving up five hits and five runs while also striking out five. Vaughn showed some grit to keep the Bruins in it.
The score remained 8-5 until the bottom of the seventh. After the Bruins were held in check in the their half, Tennessee Tech answered the bell this time scoring three runs to equalize with Belmont. Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) conceded a solo homer to open the frame, he managed to record an out but left the game after allowing a walk. With a runner on and one out, the Bruins looked to Veltri in relief. Veltri was greeted with two-straight hits, the second of which drove in a run and brought TTU within one. TTU then manufactured a run with an RBI groundout to tie things up at 8-8.
The score stood at 8-8 until the top of the ninth.
Belmont opened the top of the ninth putting its first two batters on as Holland and Walsh both reached. The Bruins elected to bunt with the nine hitter Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.), but his attempt was unsuccessful as TTU's Trevor Putzig make an incredible catch in foul territory to record the first out of the frame. After Kyle Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.) flew out it looked as if the Golden Eagles may escape the crucial jam. With a chance to put his team ahead, the calm, cool and collected Hadden stroked a 2-1 fastball to shallow right center to score Holland and put the Bruins ahead, 9-8.
TTU put runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, but Veltri was able coax a groundball to Holland who tossed it to Conger to record the 27th out.
Eight different Bruin players added hits.
"We had several guys contribute offensively, and in the box score you'll see that, but something you can't overlook is Desi Ammons behind the plate. After catching until 2 a.m. last night, he came out and caught another nine innings and on top of that had a heck of a day hitting," added Jarvis.
Bridging the gap between Vaughn and Veltri, was Klotz who provided two innings of needed middle relief for Belmont.
"This gives us some momentum going forward, we know we have a long way to go but we believe in ourselves. This team has the pitching, the hitting, the speed and the defense to win five in a row," remarked Hadden.
Belmont returns to action tomorrow and will draw the worst remaining seed out No. 2 Jacksonville State vs. No. 3 Austin Peay and No.1 SEMO vs. No. 4 Morehead State as it looks to battle its way through the loser's bracket.
Game time for tomorrow's game is no longer slated for 11 a.m. as the Jacksonville State vs. Austin Peay game was postponed due to additional inclement weather. The game is yet to resume and tomorrow's game time for Belmont hinges upon whether or that game is completed tonight or is moved until tomorrow. If the game between Jacksonville State and Austin Peay concludes this evening, Belmont will play at 3 p.m. tomorrow but if it is not and is moved to tomorrow, Belmont will play at 7 p.m.
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