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Box Score 2 COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University baseball earned a Sunday sweep at Tennessee Tech, earning victories by scores of 9-7 and 9-8, to claim a pivotal series win.
Sophomore John Behrends (Chattanooga, Tenn.) continued his remarkable play, going 5-for-8 with seven runs batted in, five runs scored, while reaching base in seven of 10 plate appearances.
Meanwhile, sophomore Aaron Hubbell (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) struck out nine batters in seven strong innings of work in Game 2 to help solidify the sweep.
Game 1 Recap
Trailing 2-0 in the third inning, Behrends blasted a three-run home run to center field to give Belmont the lead.
After Tennessee Tech reclaimed the lead in the bottom half, Belmont tied the score at 4-4 in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI single from Behrends, after freshman Austin Ehren (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) led off the inning with a bunt single.
Freshman Andy Bean (Fisherville, Tenn.) gave Belmont a quality start surrendering four earned runs over five innings of work.
In the seventh, after a two-out single from sophomore Carson Shacklett (Brentwood, Tenn.), Behrends once again delivered, this time with a two-run blast down the right field line to give the Bruins a 6-5 advantage.
The hosts would find an equalizer, but junior Kyle Brennan (Franklin, Tenn.) worked Belmont out of jams in the seventh and eighth innings to keep the game tied 6-6.
Belmont got to Tennessee Tech relievers Brock Myers and Jackson Berry in the ninth inning, as Shacklett scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded balk.
A double from junior Grayson Taylor (Cullman, Ala.) plated Heaton and Behrends and sent the Bruins to the bottom half leading 9-6.
Brennan would record the first two outs of the frame, but in need of support after Tennessee Tech closed within 9-7, the Bruins turned to Game 2 starter Hubbell. He got Brett Roberts to fly out to secure the victory.
Brennan got his third victory of the season in relief, while Hubbell earned his fourth save.
Game 2 Recap
Using his Game 1 save as a virtual pre-game warmup for Game 2, Hubbell stole the show with full command.
Belmont got on the board in a major way in the third inning; a walk to junior Jackson Campbell (Russellville, Ky.) and a hit-by-pitch to Shacklett set the stage for another Behrends' RBI single to tie the score 1-1. Moments later, junior Logan Jarvis (Franklin, Tenn.) powered a three-run home run to left-center field to give the Bruins a 4-1 advantage.
After surrendering a single run in the bottom half of the third, Hubbell worked into a groove, taking a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning.
Shacklett, Behrends and Jarvis would all reach base to start the Belmont seventh. Following a Golden Eagle wild pitch to plate Shacklett, freshman Brodey Heaton (Newburgh, Ind.) laced a two-run double to extend the Belmont lead to 8-2.
Freshman Jalen Borders (Alexandria, Ala.) retired Tennessee Tech in order in the eighth inning.
Jarvis opened the Belmont ninth with a leadoff triple, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly from junior Tommy Crider (Madison, Ala.). The insurance run to extend the Bruin lead to 9-2 may have seemed somewhat insignificant at the time, but its importance was magnified in the bottom half of the inning - best described as a wild ride for Belmont fans.
Tennessee Tech's first five batters reached based, as the Bruins eventually turned to freshman Carter Park (Eads, Tenn.).
Following a wild pitch and a walk to Jason Hinchman, Park handed the baseball over to junior Chandler Schultz (Nashville, Tenn.). Tennessee Tech had trimmed the margin to 9-6 as Schultz entered with runners on second and third.
Though the Golden Eagles made the score 9-8 on successive sacrifices, Schultz recorded three consecutive outs, including a strikeout of pinch-hitter Luke Jones to end the game.
Belmont (19-18, 11-10 OVC) returns to game action Tuesday vs. Tennessee Tech in a non-conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT from E.S. Rose Park.
