Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning from John Behrends lifted the Belmont University baseball team to a thrilling 3-2 win on Saturday over Eastern Illinois at E.S. Rose Park.
The solo shot from Behrends to right field came with two outs in the tenth, and sent the Bruin dugout into a frenzy after a tight, nailbiting contest that featured plenty of dramatic moments.
It marked the third time this season the Bruins have walked off an opponent, and the first time this year they have done it on a home run.
By taking the first two games of the series against the Panthers, Belmont (34-17, 15-5 OVC) maintained their hold on first place in the Ohio Valley Conference and moved to 6-1 in conference series this season.
Joshua South delivered a heroic performance on the mound, tossing a career-high 130 pitches in 90-degree heat while going eight innings and collecting 11 strikeouts.
Sitting at over 120 pitches in the eighth inning, South was nailed in the back by his catcher, Jackson Campbell, who was trying to throw down to second base to nab a baserunner. The junior from Cookeville remained in the game and got two more outs, including an emphatic 11th strikeout, to keep the game tied at 2-2 heading to the bottom of the eighth.
Kyle Brennan (W, 2-4) earned the win in relief, providing two perfect innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts.
Belmont fell behind 2-0 after the third inning on a Ryan Ignoffo home run, but got onto the board in the fifth inning on a Grayson Taylor RBI-single through the right side that scored Logan Jarvis.
Taylor finished with a career-high four hits, going 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Later, in the seventh inning, Carson Shacklett came through in the clutch with a game-tying RBI double to center field that drove in Taylor and brought the score to 2-2.
After South stranded a runner at third base in the top of the eighth inning with his 11th strikeout, the Bruins worked their way to the tenth, where Taylor led off with a double to left field before being thrown out on a fly-ball to right field for a Panther double play, setting up Behrends' solo walk-off blast.
By securing their 34th win of the season on Saturday, the Bruins now have their most wins in a season since 2013, their first year in the OVC.
Belmont will go for the sweep of Eastern Illinois on Senior Day on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Pregame festivities involving the honoring of the 13 Bruin seniors will begin at 12:30 p.m.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and live audio play-by-play will be simulcast on the Bruin Sports Network.
