NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Just as it turned the corner in the first game, Belmont Softball's luck appeared to run out on Friday the 13th in its home doubleheader. The Bruins (22-14, 3-7 OVC) picked up a 3-2 walkoff win in game one before behind held silent in the nightcap, 3-0, by visiting Morehead State (20-12, 3-5 OVC) at Rose Park.
Game one was quiet for both teams for the first two innings. BU made a mark on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Taylor Hargrove (Greenbrier, Tenn.) singled to left center and was moved to second base behind a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.). Senior Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) sent a single deep to right to open the door for Hargrove to round the bases and score the first run of the day. Senior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) was hit by a pitch before junior Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.) knocked a single to send another run over the plate.
The Eagles answered back adding a run in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to knot the score, 2-2. Entering the seventh inning, the Bruins dropped the hammer defensively and turned in a 3-up, 3-down half inning to shut down Morehead State. In BU's half of the same frame, junior Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) was walked before freshman Georgia McKee (Frisco, Texas) was hit by a pitch. Hargrove laid down the perfect sac bunt to move the pair into scoring position before Sims drove a single deep to left to send the winning run over the plate to give BU the 3-2 win.
Belmont could not get anything offensive going in the nightcap. Despite a strong performance in the circle by freshman Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.), the Bruins were done in by a three-run homerun in the top of the sixth inning.
For the day, the BU bats were kept relatively quiet. Andree, juniors Hargrove and Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.), and Sims each recorded a hit.
Inside the circle, sophomore Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) picked up her 12th win of the season with six strikeouts. Veltri matched her season-best output of nine strikeouts in game two.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday, April 15 with a pair of OVC games on the road at Eastern Kentucky. First pitch is set for 12 p.m CT. Live stats will be available.
