Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MOREHEAD, Ky. – Belmont Baseball dropped a pair of games to Morehead State on a Friday twin bill.
Belmont was quick to put a couple on base after the first two batters were walked and hit by a pitch. Even though BU wouldn't record a hit in the inning, lead-off man senior Cully Day (Mahomet, Ill.) would score the first run of the afternoon off a junior Chas Hadden (Morristown, Tenn.) groundout.
The Eagles answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first with the help of a BU error.
Freshman Jordan Henshaw (New Market, Ala.) recorded his second long-ball of the season with a lead-off solo homerun in the top of the third. His hit was the first of only four Belmont hits on the afternoon.
Belmont would keep the lead until the bottom of the fifth. The Eagles' bats got hot, recording three consecutive hits and scoring the tying run in the inning. Morehead State scored again in the sixth inning and twice in the eighth ultimately defeating the Bruins 5-2.
Senior Tyler Vaugh (Jonesboro, Ill.) pitched seven innings, taking his second loss of the season. Sophomores Jack Rettig (Mahomet, Ill.) and Michael Matter (Ft. Myers, Fla.) saw relief time on the mound for the Bruins. Matter recorded the only strikeout of the game.
Things took a while to get going in game two. After three scoreless innings, the Eagles put the first two runs on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer, but BU responded quickly.
The first at-bat of the inning, Junior Hunter Holland (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) hit a solo shot to left field for the Bruins first run. After a single and a sacrifice bunt advanced Holland to third, senior Ben Kocher (Zionsville, Ind.) sent a shot to right field to drive in Holland. Belmont would load the bases with one out but couldn't send any more across the plate. Things were tied 2-2 in the middle of the fourth.
Morehead State wasted no time retaking the lead in the top of the fourth. After the first two batters reached base on walks, the Eagles came up with a single and a sac fly to score the third run of the night. After another base hit, Morehead would take a 4-2 lead before BU caught a runner stealing to end the inning. The Eagles tacked on one more in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead.
Belmont struggled to get anything going until the final inning. Junior Devon Gardner (Maryville, Tenn.) made things interesting as the lead-off man in the top of the ninth. Trying to keep Belmont in this one, Gardner hit the Bruins' second long ball of the game over the right center field fence to bring BU within two. Belmont was unable to pull off the comeback and ultimately fell 5-3 to the Eagles in game two of the double header.
Senior Connor Etheridge (Springfield, Ill.) started on the mound for the Bruins. He went for five innings striking out one and walking one. Freshman Chandler Schultz (Nashville, Tenn.), Logan Bowen (Bowling Green, Ky.), and Kyle Brennan (Franklin, Tenn.) all saw time in relief on the mound.
The three-game series will conclude on Sunday, March 17 in Morehead, Ky. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m. EST.
