JACKSON, Tenn.- Facing elimination for the third-straight game, the Belmont University baseball team battled for 13 innings but came up just short, falling 7-4 in in extras to Austin Peay. The back-and-forth contest tied for the longest game in OVC Baseball Championship history, and the Bruins finish the season 33-27.
Dom Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) suffered the loss as the Governors struck for three runs in the top of 13th. Veltri pitched admirably, hurling 4.2 inning of relief, but ultimately came up on the losing end.
Belmont held an early lead, but it was Austin Peay who would come up with the key hits in the latter stages. The Bruins and Governors each had 13 hits in the game's 13 innings.
Alex Ward (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) led the Bruins with a 4-for-7 performance while Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) and Brennan Washington (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) each finished with multi-hit games.
Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.) hit a two-run homer in the hardfought loss and eight Bruins tallied hits in a game which lasted nearly five hours.
The Bruins battled adversity in their four games in four days stretch, dealing with the rigors of competition as well as the obstacles presented by numberous weather delays, cancellations and rescheduling. Belmont may be eliminated but has plenty to be proud of as the No. 6 seed staved off elimination twice and battled from the depths of the loser's bracket.
Three of the Govs' seven runs were unearned as the Bruins committed three errors. The Governors committed four errors of their own and it was defensive miscues in the bottom of the ninth that allowed the Bruins to come raging back facing a 4-3 deficit.
After Austin Peay scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, with its backs against the wall in the bottom of the ninth the Bruins managed to tie things up at 4-4. Tyler Fullerton (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) drove in Tyler Walsh (Evansville, Ind.) with a groundball to the shortstop to equalize with the Governors. The inning began with a double off the bat of Hadden, which nearly exited the park for a walkoff homer, but instead ricocheted off the wall. The speedster Walsh then came on to pinch run for Hadden, and immediately Walsh made his presence felt when he swiped third for his 21st theft of the season. Walsh's stolen base loomed large as came around to score when Fullerton hit a chopper to the shortstop which was booted. Fullerton ended up advancing all the way to second with some heads up base running. The very next batter Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) reached on another error by APSU's shorstop Clayton Smithson, and the Bruins would have a two on, one out scenario. But a strikeout and a groundout ended what could have been the game-winning rally.
Belmont came oh so close in the ninth to ending things, and would come even closer in the 11th.
With the bases loaded in the 11th inning, it looked like Belmont would walk away with a walk off hit but Rafael Bournigal (Mulberry, Fla.) saw his hit to shallow left robbed by APSU left fielder Josh Wilson. Bournigal's knock looked destined to fall in for a hit, but Wilson made a sliding catch to narrowly snatch the ball before it hit on the ground in front of him. Bournigal's unlucky lineout was the third out of the inning.
The Bruins would have additional chances in the extra frames, but it was Austin Peay who lived to see another day. Of course not literally, as Austin Peay will again play today against the loser of the No. 1 SEMO vs. No. 2 Jacksonville State game.
Belmont falls to 1-4 against the Governors on the season as 0-2 in the 2016 OVC Baseball Championship.
Making his fourth start of the season Connor Etheridge (Springfield, Ill.) set the Govs down in order using just 11 pitches and tossing a quick and easy top of the first. The Bruins didn't waste much time as the first two batters of the game recorded hits and after two batters had their turn at the dish, it was 1-0 Belmont. After Ward led off the game for BU with a double down the right field line, Hadden drove in his sixth run of the tournament with a base knock through the right side. Etheridge cruised through the second with just 10 pitches as he kept the Austin Peay bats quiet again.
Picking off right where they had left off, the Bruins got to APSU starter Michael Costanzo for two more runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Kocher. After Kyle Conger (Brentwood, Tenn.) narrowly missed a homerun with a towering foul ball down the left field line, Kocher wouldn't as he touched em' all for the sixth time on the year.
The Bruins had six hits and three runs before they had made their fourth out of the game.
As the coaching staff elected to employ a staff day, Casey Queener (Brentwood, Tenn.) entered in the top of the third in relief of Etheridge. The Bruin defense would let Queener down in the frame as Belmont committed two errors. After a walk, a ground ball to Kocher looked like it may have a double play written all over it, instead Kocher's throw took second basemen Holland off the bag and both runners were safe. The next batter singled in to right, which normally would have scored just one run, but Fullerton saw the ball roll under his glove in rightfield. The runner on first came around to score and Garret Copeland the author of the basehit ended up all the way at third. Queener was then lifted in favor of Kyle Klotz (Fairview, Tenn.) who entered the contest with one out. After recording a quick out, it looked like he may escape the jam but Conger double clutched on a ground ball to short allowing the speedy Logan Gray to reach on an infield single which scored Copeland from third. All told, the Governors would equalize at 3-3 with Belmont after scoring three unearned runs.
After the first two runners reached for Belmont in the bottom of the third, Austin Peay resorted to the talents of its bullpen. Facing RHP Caleb Powell with nobody out, Payne hit a nubber to first which advanced both runners into scoring position. But with the ducks on the pond, both Desi Ammons (Hohenwald, Tenn.) and Conger weren't able to come through and the score would remain 3-3.
Queener finished with .1 innings pitched and Klotz concluded with an inning of work.
In the fourth the Bruins would run into some trouble, but thanks to the efforts of Krzeminski Belmont would elude the threat. Entering the game with one out and runners on first and second, the freshman picked up a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Governors at bay in a big spot in the game.
With the squads locked in at a 3-3 stalemate, the score stood still until the top of the seventh.
Austin Peay led off the seventh with an infield single as Holland made a great effort but could not make the glove scoop and flip to first to get Copeland. The next batter Patrick Massoni laid down a brilliant bunt in between first base and the pitcher to reach and bump up the runner. Faced with the task of dealing with two of the better hitters in the conference, Krzeminski struck out Logan Gray and Chase Hamilton in succession. After the momentous back-to-back punchouts, APSU's Josh Wilson singled up the middle off of Krzeminski to drive home a run. The Governors led 4-3 lead held up until the ninth.
Krzeminski's strong effort helped the Bruins stay in the thick of things as he logged 4.1 innings and allowed just one run.
Ward picked up his third knock of the game when he led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right. Hadden the next batter, moved up Ward to second with a sacrifice bunt. The Governors would then go to the bullpen, calling on the services of stopper Jared Carkuff. Carkuff came on in relief of Powell who was terrific for the Govs, going 4.1 innings allowing just two hits and zero runs. Back to back outs would conclude the inning for Belmont at the score remained, 4-3.
Krzeminski ran into a little bit of trouble in the top of the eighth leaving the game with two on two out, but Josh Tubbs (Camden, Tenn.) put out the fire with a strikeout to conclude the frame.
Tubbs finished with .2 innings pitched before giving way to Veltri. The Clarksville native worked in and out of trouble but pitched effectively during the nitty gritty portions of the contest. Veltri came on in the ninth, avoiding a jam, and hurled the next four innings. Veltri finished with four strikeouts.
Hadden, batting a team-high 4.38, finished the tournament with a team-high seven hits and a team-high six RBI. Ward batted an even .400 during his three games and finished with six postseason hits. Ammons registered a .375 average with six hits and three RBI over BU's four games.
