Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Behind a walk-off home run and a 3-for-4 day at the plate from sophomore Carson Shacklett, the Belmont baseball team managed to earn a 4-3 win over UNC Asheville and complete the series sweep on Sunday at Rose Park.
Shacklett collected a career high of three hits and his walk-off home run was his first collegiate home run.
"It's most definitely pretty cool to get these wins early in the season," Shacklett said. "They're calling us the comeback kids. We like it that way. No moment is too big for us."
Belmont was the one to strike first in the bottom of the first inning following a leadoff base hit, with freshman Brodey Heaton hitting an RBI single to left field to score senior Hagan Severance and gave Belmont a 1-0 lead. A leadoff double down the left field line from junior Logan Jarvis in bottom of the fourth inning allowed Belmont to add to its lead after senior Chandler Adkins hit a sacrifice ground ball to make it a two-run advantage.
UNC Asheville responded in the top of the fifth inning, hitting four consecutive singles to tie the game.
"No one guy feels the weight on his shoulders," head coach Dave Jarvis said. "They all have the feeling that they are capable of getting it done. They are all shouldering any weight together and I think that makes things much more effective."
A solo home run in the top of the eighth inning by UNC Asheville allowed the Bulldogs to take a 3-2 lead. Belmont, however, responded with a solo shot of their own as sophomore John Behrends hit his first home run of the season to tie the score 3-3.
Junior Kyle Brennan set up the walk off opportunity for the Bruins, retiring all three batters in the top of the ninth inning with a fly out and two strikeouts.
"I have so much confidence in this team," Brennan said. "All these hitters find a way to get the job done. There's never a spot in the game where I feel like we're going to lose."
After a strikeout, Shacklett delivered on the second pitch he saw with his first collegiate home run. The walk-off marks the fourth time in the last seven games where the Bruins have won by a way of walk-off.
"Everyone believes in everybody," Shacklett said. "We trust one another. We have great team chemistry. We just want to win for each other. That's the main goal. To win and to do it the right way."
Belmont goes back on the road for a non-conference game on Tuesday against Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ky.
