Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Behind 12 hits, the Belmont University baseball team defeated UT Martin 9-8 on Tuesday at Rose Park.
The game will not count towards the Ohio Valley Conference standings and will be treated like a regular mid-week non-conference game. Sophomore Carson Shacklett tied a career-high three hits in four at-bats while freshman Brodey Heaton drove in a career-high four runs. The Belmont pitching staff combined for six strikeouts, with junior Chandler Schultz picking up his first win of the season while sophomore Aaron Hubbell picked up his first save of the season.
UT Martin picked up two quick runs to take a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning, but a double steal allowed freshman Drew Lowry to score and cut the deficit in half. Following a leadoff single from Shacklett in the bottom of the third inning, Heaton's single to third base allowed the Bruins to tie the game and a double from sophomore Jack Capobianco scored two runs and gave Belmont a 4-2 lead.
Following two singles and a walk to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, a single from sophomore John Behrends and a bases loaded walk drawn by junior Logan Jarvis pushed Belmont out to a four-run lead. A double from Heaton later in the inning drove in three runs, giving Belmont a 9-2 lead.
With Shacklett getting on base once again on Tuesday, he is the only Belmont player to have gotten on base at least once in every game this season.
"I just keep working the pitcher," Shacklett said. "I just try to see good pitches and put good swings on it every game."
UT Martin responded with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, with a single in the top of the seventh inning bringing in a pair of runs to cut Belmont's lead to three. A two run home run later in the inning allowed the Skyhawks to cut the deficit to one run, bringing in Hubbell with the opportunity for the save in the top of the ninth inning.
"I just wanted to go in there and throw strikes and put the ball in the zone," Hubbell said. "(My goal was) to let my defense play into some ground balls, maybe strike out a couple of guys, and get the win."
A single in the top of the ninth inning put the tying run on base for UT Martin and an intentional walk followed by a wild pitch put runners at the corners with one out. Hubbell, however, struck out the following batter and forced a pop up to right field to hold Belmont's lead.
Belmont (8-12, 4-5) will face local Nashville foe Trevecca on Wednesday at Rose Park, the two school's first meeting since the 2002 season. Trevecca is off to a 10-3 start and is undefeated in the Great Midwest Conference.
"We got another really important competition tomorrow," head coach Dave Jarvis said. "We got a team coming in that's going to be ready to play. We have to take this one game at a time. We're just excited to play. I feel like the more we play, the better this team will grow and the better we will get. I'm excited that we get to play tomorrow and I want our guys to be excited as well."
