Box Score COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont University baseball team lost its first game of its Ohio Valley Conference series to Tennessee Tech 9-7 on Saturday at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Sophomore Tommy Crider led the Bruins offensively with a 2-for-3 outing at the plate while sophomore Joshua South and junior Kyle Brennan recorded three strikeouts each on the mound. Freshman Carter Park collected a pair of strikeouts in 1.1 innings pitched.
With neither team unable to get a run across the plate in the first two innings, Tennessee Tech struck first in the bottom of the third inning. After a one-out, solo home run to center field, the Golden Eagles hit a single and later scored two runs off a second home run in the inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Tennessee Tech got two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth inning off a walk and a Belmont fielding error, driving in three more runs off a home run to right center field to extend their lead to five runs. The Golden Eagles drew a hit-by-pitch in the following at-bat, capping off the run rally with a two-run home run to right center field to give Tennessee Tech an 8-0 advantage.
Belmont was forced into two quick outs to start the top of the sixth inning, but the Bruins proved once again why they are never out of an inning until the third out. Heading into Saturday's game, over 28 percent of Belmont's runs have come with two outs.
Facing a two-out situation, Belmont used a six-run, two-out rally to inch their way back in the game.
Drawing three consecutive walks to load the bases, freshman Brodey Heaton drove in the first two Belmont runs of the game with a single to right center field. A single by Crider allowed another run to score, with a passed ball following a Grayson Taylor single cutting Tennessee Tech's lead in half.
Coming off the bench earlier in the game, freshman Austin Ehren delivered with a two-RBI single to right center field to cap off the scoring run and make it an 8-6 game. Three straight walks started the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, allowing Belmont to cut the deficit to one run thanks to a sacrifice fly from junior Logan Jarvis. Tennessee Tech, however, forced a strikeout and a line out to prevent any further damage.
The game was halted in the bottom of the eighth inning by a two hour and 40 minute lightning and rain delay, but Tennessee Tech's stayed hot. With two outs and a runner on base, the Golden Eagles added an insurance run with an RBI single after drawing a hit-by-pitch to take a 9-7 lead.
The Bruins looked to pull off their come-from-behind magic in the top of the ninth inning, but Tennessee Tech retired the order to seal game one.
Belmont (17-18, 9-10) wraps up the series with Tennessee Tech in OVC play on Sunday at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, facing the Golden Eagles in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. Live stats and ESPN+ will be available to fans courtesy of Tennessee Tech Athletics.
