Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team fell short to No. 2 Vanderbilt on Tuesday at Hawkins Field 4-1.
Chandler Schultz matched a career-high four strikeouts in two innings pitched, with the pitching staff combining for eight strikeouts total. Belmont had three seperate players collect a hit, with sophomore Jack Capobianco and freshman Jack Rando extending their hitting streaks to five games. Junior Jackson Campbell extended his hitting streak to four games on Tuesday.
"More than anything else, I thought that our guys didn't panic," head coach Dave Jarvis said. "There were different points in the game where that could have been a possibility and our guys maintained their poise and maintained their focus. We didn't let anything get out of control as a result of that."
Vanderbilt quickly got to work in the bottom of the first inning, collecting a single, double and drew a walk to load the bases. The Commodores drew a bases loaded walk to score the game's first run.
Getting a runner on base following a fielding error and moving all the way to third base after a stolen base and wild pitch, Vanderbilt scored another run in the bottom of the second inning off a groundout to second base. Belmont responded in the top of the fifth inning, with freshman Guy Lipscomb drawing a walk and stealing second to get in scoring position. Campbell brought him home thanks to a single to first base to cut Vanderbilt's lead 2-1.
Belmont only came up three hits in the game, with Vanderbilt's pitching staff forcing the Bruins to strikeout 12 times in the process.
"They've got outstanding, exceptional arms out there on the mound," Jarvis said. "Many of them are well into the mid-90's (miles per hour) or better with really good off-speed stuff. They did a great job of executing their pitches and they strung together really good combinations. That makes it difficult on a team offensively and it's going to continue to do that for their opponents this year."
A single and two walks in the bottom of the sixth inning loaded the bases for Vanderbilt with one out, with the Bruins only allowing one run thanks to a double play from Mason Landers to Capobianco. A solo home run from Jayson Gonzalez in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Commodores a three-run advantage.
The Bruins, however, did not go down quietly in the top of the ninth inning. Belmont drew two base runners off a hit by pitch and an infield single, but a double at first base and a strikeout ended the game in Vanderbilt's favor.
"The way that we compete is good, but we've got to do a better job of executing," Jarvis said. "Offensively, we have to do a better job of capitalizing in two-strike hitting situations. On the mound, we want to make sure we're not putting ourselves in a position where we're giving up free baserunners."
Belmont (4-8) continues conference play on Friday and returns to Rose Park, facing SIUE starting at 4 p.m.
