Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team claimed the Battle of the Boulevard in the 2021 season, defeating Lipscomb 11-2 at Ken Dugan Field on Wednesday.
With Belmont's 11-run performance, the Bruins have now scored double-digit runs in two consecutive games on Lipscomb's home turf. The Bruins also drew 13 walks on Wednesday, tying a new season-high.
Sophomore Carson Shacklett drove in a career-high three runs while starting pitcher Will Jenkins threw a career-high four strikeouts, earning the win in the process. Freshman Lane Lamberth recorded a career-high three strikeouts in just his third appearance of the season.
"I felt really good about our approach at the plate offensively," head coach Dave Jarvis said. "We had tremendous strike zone discipline and took advantage of opportunities...Our hitting was timely. When they put the ball over the plate, we did damage in places we needed to do damage offensively. I thought we played reasonably well on defense. We worked a lot of different pitchers and they all had effective roles on the mound."
An RBI single from Shacklett allowed Belmont to strike first in the top of the second inning, where sophomore John Behrends followed up with a single that drove in two more runs to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead. Belmont got the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning, capitalizing off a two-RBI single from Logan Jarvis. A pair of singles from freshman Brodey Heaton and junior Grayson Taylor brought home two more runs, extending the Bruins' lead to seven runs.
Lipscomb scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Belmont responded with three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to stay in front 10-2. Lamberth kept the momentum going in the next half-inning, striking out three batters for all three outs to end the seventh.
"Honestly, I'm just trying to get the team back in the dugout as quick as possible," Lamberth said. "I'm just trying to pound the zone with strikes as much as I can."
Shacklett hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to make it an 11-2 Belmont lead, with Belmont only allowing one hit to Lipscomb for the remainder of the game. Freshman Carter Park recorded his second multi-strikeout game of his career in 0.2 innings of work.
"When the pitchers are rolling, I think that's how our team gets going," Shacklett said. "It's good to see those guys get some confidence on the mound. I'm proud of them. I'm excited for what they can achieve the rest of the year."
Belmont (17-17) travels to Cookeville to continue Ohio Valley Conference play, taking on Tennessee Tech on Friday at 6 p.m.
