Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - - Belmont University softball dropped two games Sunday at Southeast Missouri, 5-3 (8) and 9-2, to close regular season conference play.
The Bruins, who established new program records for conference wins and conference winning percentage, were vying for their first conference regular season championship of the NCAA Division I era.
Instead, the host Redhawks completed an impressive undefeated home campaign, in a weekend series full of drama and momentum swings.
Belmont (30-15, 20-8 OVC) will enter the upcoming OVC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, and face either Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech or UT Martin in its opening game.
First pitch is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. from Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Game One
Southeast Missouri continued its momentum from Saturday, scoring three runs in its half of the first inning. Paige Halliwill hit a two-run home run, while Kat Sackett later added an RBI sacrifice fly to right field.
From there, however, Belmont starting pitcher Alicia Veltri settled in, holding the Redhawks at bay and enabling the Bruins to work back into the game.
Belmont got on the scoreboard in the third, as Audrey Lyle laced a single before Cheyenne Cavanaugh delivered a run-scoring double. Indy Cockrill scored, pitch-running for Lyle.
After putting runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, Belmont finally broke through in the top of the seventh to equalize.
Lyle closed the gap to 3-2 with a solo home run to deep center field. Then following a Baie Ensio walk and a Cavanaugh single, Kristen Green tied the score at 3 with a sacrifice fly.
With so much at stake for both teams - including a regular conference championship for Belmont and an undefeated home season for Southeast Missouri - emotion and intensity came with each pitch.
Rachel Rook was able to strike out Emily Cockrill to end the Belmont rally.
The Redhawks got runners to second and third base in the bottom of the seventh inning before Veltri retired Halliwill to force extra innings.
In the eighth, Belmont was retired in order before Kynzie Wrigley hit a walk-off home run for the Redhawks.
Veltri was courageous on the mound for the Bruins, going seven-plus innings, throwing 73 strikes.
Game Two
The hosts scored quickly in game two as well, as a two-out rally in the second inning on Belmont starter Alex Clesi gave Southeast Missouri a 4-0 lead.
The Bruins closed within 5-1 in the fifth inning on a successful double steal from Emily Cockrill and Gabby Givers.
Then in the sixth, Belmont got consecutive base hits from Cavanaugh, Abi Ledbetter, and Green to spark a late-inning comeback.
Yet as was a common narrative throughout the competitive weekend series, the Bruins had some tough luck in scoring situations as Rook worked herself out of the jam.
Cavanaugh led the Belmont offense, going 6-for-10 for the series.
Follow Belmont Softball on social media - @BelmontSoftball on Twitter and @belmontsoftball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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