Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In a battle for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Belmont University baseball team dropped their series finale with Southeast Missouri on Sunday at E.S. Rose Park, 11-4.
After six innings, the score was tied 4-4, but the Redhawks scored four runs in the seventh inning off three different Bruin relievers and added three more insurance runs in the ninth inning to win the series.
Belmont out-hit Southeast Missouri 14-11, but left ten men on base. The loss hands Belmont their first series loss of OVC play, breaking a four-series win streak to begin conference action.
Belmont (28-16, 10-5 OVC) now heads into finals week in second place in the conference standings, one game ahead of Eastern Illinois (28-13, 9-6 OVC).
Belmont got on the board first thanks to a two-run second inning. Back to back singles from Tommy Crider and Mason Landers put runners on first and third before Jackson Campbell singled through the right side to score Crider. Jack Capobianco then stepped in and continued his hot series with an RBI double to right-center field to score Landers and give Belmont a 2-0 lead.
However, with runners on second and third and still just one out, two Bruins struck out in a row to retire the side.
Southeast Missouri grabbed the lead in the ensuing frame, getting a sacrifice fly for one run then a two-out, two-run home run from Andrew Keck to left field to lead 3-2 in the third inning.
The Redhawks wouldn't have the lead for long. John Behrends stepped in the batter's box to lead off the home half of the third inning and blasted a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 3-3.
Southeast Missouri regained the advantage with an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-3, but Capobianco notched his second RBI of the day with a single up the middle that scored Logan Jarvis from second base and knotted the game back up at 4-4.
From there, Southeast Missouri would do the rest of the scoring, putting up seven runs in the final three innings off Belmont's bullpen.
Capobianco finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a walk, Behrends ended his day 2-for-5 with a home run, and Crider led the Bruins with a 3-for-5 outing. Landers and Campbell each tallied two hits as well.
Jalen Borders grinded through six solid innings on the mound in his eleventh start of the year, giving up four earned runs but striking out a season-high seven batters on 98 total pitches.
Belmont will have a week off from game action before hitting the road to take on the University of Tennessee at Martin next weekend in Martin, Tenn. The three-game series will start Friday and continue through Sunday. The Skyhawks are currently ninth in the OVC at 3-15 in conference play.
