NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A late rally falls shy on Tuesday evening as the Belmont Softball team was unable to hold off in-state rival Middle Tennessee State. The Bruins (21-12) battled back but fell to the Blue Raiders (26-15), 7-2.
MTSU posted a single run in the tops of the second, third and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead before doubling its run tally in the the top of the fifth frame. The Blue Raiders tagged on an insurance run in the top of sixth but the Bruins were down but not completely out.
In the bottom of the seventh, singles by junior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) and sophomore Emily Bauersauchs (Campbell Hill, Ill.) looked to spark a rally. A wild pitch moved the pair into scoring position before junior Sami Long (Springfield, Ill.) knocked a two-out single up the middle to send them both over the plate. Unfortunately, BU would be unable to add additional runs and fell, 7-2.
For the day, senior Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) led Bu at the plate, going 2-for-3, including a double.
Inside the circle, freshman Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) and senior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) split time, combining for five strikeouts.
Belmont returns to action on Wednesday with a single game on the road at Ole Miss. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Live stats will be available and the game can be seen live on SEC Network+.
