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Jack Rando_WIU Friday recap
Erin Saggese - Belmont Athletics
5
Winner Western Illinois WIU 2-11
2
Belmont BEL 6-9
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
2-11
5
Final
2
Belmont BEL
6-9
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 10 1
Belmont BEL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 1

W: Jake Armstrong (2-1) L: Bean, Andy (0-3) S: Jack Bell (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops Series Opener to Western Illinois on Friday, 5-2

Bruins Look to Even Series at E.S. Rose Park on Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont University baseball team threatened late by loading the bases in the ninth inning, but fell, 5-2, to Western Illinois on Friday night at E.S. Rose Park. 

Belmont (6-9) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, bringing the winning run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the game. 

Western Illinois (2-11) snapped a ten-game losing streak with outstanding pitching from their starter, Jake Armstrong, who tossed 8.2 innings while scattering five Belmont hits. 

Andy Bean (L, 0-3) recorded seven strikeouts and grinded through 5.2 innings, but the Leathernecks were able to put up two runs in the third inning and two runs in the fourth inning, before adding an insurance run off of Will Pryor in the top of the ninth. 

Pryor ended a solid outing with 3.1 innings on the hill, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out a career-high five batters with no walks. 

Offensively, Belmont struggled to capitalize on opportunities, leaving nine men on base including the three stranded to end the game. 

Belmont tallied five hits on the night, all of them singles. In the ninth inning, trailing 5-2, Belmont got a leadoff walk from Brodey Heaton. After Jack Rando grounded into a fielder's choice, Sam Slaughter flew out to right field, setting up one man on with two outs. 

Jeff Clarke then drew a walk and Sam Kirkpatrick singled a two-strike pitch into right field, loading the bases and forcing a Western Illinois pitching change. 

However, the new Leatherneck reliever struck out the next Belmont batter and ended the game. 

Blake Barton finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the Bruins. 

Up Next 

Belmont will look to even the series on Saturday afternoon against Western Illinois, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. from E.S. Rose Park. 

Belmont RHP Jordan Zuger (1-2, 7.82 ERA) will face Western Illinois LHP Tyler Kapraun (0-2, 6.91 ERA). 

The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available 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 

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