Baseball Drops Pair of Games to UT Martin

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont University baseball team opened the 2023 season with a pair of losses at the hands of the University of Tennessee at Martin on Saturday at E.S. Rose Park, falling 4-2 in the first game of the doubleheader before getting edged, 7-3, in the nightcap. 

Belmont (0-2) will go for a series split against UT Martin (2-0) on Sunday afternoon when they meet in another doubleheader at E.S. Rose Park beginning at 1 p.m. 

Game 1 

Despite a strong start on the mound from Andy Bean (L, 0-1) in the first game, three defensive errors hurt Belmont's chances in a 4-2 loss to UT Martin. 

Bean was dynamic over the first two frames, tallying four strikeouts while pitching around a fielding error that allowed a Skyhawk to reach second base. 

In all, the junior left-hander went five strong innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing just one earned run on four hits. 

The Bruins jumped ahead in the first inning when Jack Rando got aboard with an infield single to lead things off. After Rando stole second base, Brodey Heaton drove him in with a double that hugged the left field line all the way to the corner. 

In the third inning, UT Martin got a leadoff solo home run from Alec Beaman on the way to three runs in the frame to take a 3-1 lead.  

Belmont responded in the home half of the inning, with Blake Barton drawing a two-out walk before Max Blessinger reached on an infield single to set the table for a Sam Kirkpatrick single to right field that scored Barton from second base, cutting the advantage to 3-2. 

From there, the Skyhawk staff limited the Bruins to just one more hit the rest of the game. 

Cade Granzow pitched well in his Bruin debut, tossing two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. 

After UT Martin added a run in the fifth, Belmont brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, with Ethan Harden singling to center field to bring Heaton up to bat. The first baseman hit a fly ball deep to left field that died just short of the warning track, ending the game. 

Game 2 

In the second game, Belmont pitchers recorded 17 strikeouts over nine innings but were tagged by UT Martin batters for seven runs on 11 hits on the way to a 7-3 defeat for Belmont. 

Belmont got on the board in the third inning when Sam Kirkpatrick doubled to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Drew Lowry traded places with him on another double to right-center, tying the score at 1-1. 

On the mound, Jalen Borders (L, 0-1) recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in the game, but was forced to exit in the fourth inning as UT Martin exploded for four runs on five hits, all coming with two outs in the frame. 

After the Skyhawks added a run in the top of the sixth to bring the score to 6-1, Belmont tried to chip away at the lead, with Mason Landers singling with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Landers came in to score on a Blake Barton single to center field, cutting things to 6-2. 

Trailing 7-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Belmont loaded the bases with one out, but Skyhawk reliever Choyce Diffey struck out the last two Bruin batters to secure the game. 

Up Next 

Belmont will take on UT Martin in another doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. A seven-inning game will be followed by a nine-inning contest. 

First pitch in the first game will come at 1 p.m., with the second game starting approximately 30 minutes after the first's conclusion. 

Live radio play-by-play of both games will be available on the Bruin Sports Network, and live stats can be found on BelmontBruins.com 

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball 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.         

#ItsBruinTime