Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - With the Belmont's pitching staff combining for 11 strikeouts, the Bruins defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 6-0 at Rose Park on Friday.
Sophomore pitcher Joshua South, the OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, earned his first win of the season after six innings of work and seven strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Aaron Hubbell earned his first career save, pitching the final three innings and recording four strikeouts.
Outfielder John Behrends tied a career high with three hits, last hitting that mark on May 18, 2019 against Eastern Kentucky. With Belmont starting three freshman, Drew Lowry collected three hits and scored two runs in his collegiate debut.
"Everything started with our pitchers," head coach Dave Jarvis said. "What a tremendous job they did. They had consecutive innings where Kansas' leadoff man did not get on base. That's a great way to manage a lineup and work through a lineup. Both (Hubbell and South) were really good for their first time out of managing their pitch counts, making sure they were throwing all of their pitches for strikes and locating them well."
After South collected three strikeouts through the first two innings, junior Logan Jarvis hit a double to put the Bruins in scoring position in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Tommy Crider capitalized on the opportunity in the next at-bat, hitting a home run to left field to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead.
Crider hit his fourth career home run, with his last home run coming on April 19, 2019 against Murray State.
"With the way South came out and pitched, it was very important to get that lead early," Crider said. "That way he could come out and be comfortable. I think that's important getting us ready for the upcoming games in the series."
Following a stolen base from senior Hagan Severance, Behrends advanced the Brentwood, Tenn., native to third base in the bottom of the third. Jarvis added an insurance run two batters later, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Severance and give Belmont a three-run lead.
South did not allow a Kansas hit for through the first four innings, only giving up one in the top of the fifth. His seven strikeouts mark the first time a Belmont pitcher recorded five or more strikeouts against a Power 5 opponent since Kyle Brennan on May 18, 2018 at Northwestern.
"Having the lead is the best thing as a pitcher," South said. "You can go out there knowing that the team has your back. Offensively, the team did a great job tonight."
Belmont scored another run in the bottom of the sixth following a Kansas error, adding more insurance two innings later. Lowry singled to right field to leadoff the inning, with Severance driving in an RBI single to center field to make it a five-run lead.
Freshman Brodey Heaton capped off the Bruins' scoring later in the inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field to score Severance from third.
"Offensively, I felt like our guys did a really good job of taking what they gave us," Jarvis said. "There was a lot of good two-strike hitting throughout the course of that game. It's one day. It's the beginning, but it allows our guys to get off the bubble a little bit. I was very pleased with the job that we did defensively with some guys covering positions that they normally haven't been accustomed to playing for us."
Belmont continues the series with Kansas on Saturday, with the first pitch beginning at 2 p.m.
