Baseball Defeated by Middle Tennessee, 8-4, on Tuesday Night

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont University team fell at home to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday evening, 8-4, in a midweek game at E.S. Rose Park. 

Middle Tennessee (21-19, 10-8 C-USA) broke the contest open with a five-run sixth inning and kept Belmont (20-22, 5-10 MVC) at bay down the stretch to even the season series between the two area foes at one game apiece. 

The defeat snaps a four-game win streak that Belmont owned in midweek contests entering Tuesday. 

Belmont out-hit Middle Tennessee, 10-9, and drew nine walks while striking out only four times, but stranded 14 runners on base in the loss. 

Mason Landers, Brodey Heaton, Jeff Clarke, and Kaden Galason all recorded two hits in the game for the Bruins. 

Jake Timbes tossed 2.1 innings in relief without giving up a hit or a walk, striking out three. Joe Ruzicka allowed just one run on one hit through three innings in his ninth start of the year on the mound.  

The Blue Raiders struck first by manufacturing a run in the first inning after a leadoff single, moving the runner over and in on a wild pitch and two consecutive groundouts. 

Belmont tied the game in the second inning as Jack Rando and Max Jones drew back-to-back walks with Kaden Galason singling to load the bases. Sam Slaughter then drew an RBI walk on a seven-pitch at-bat to tie the game at 1-1. 

The Bruins would take their only lead of the game in the fourth inning, when Chase Katafias led off the frame with a single and reached third on a groundball double from Galason that got past the Middle Tennessee first baseman in the sun. 

Slaughter picked up his second RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Katafias to tag and score, giving Belmont the 2-1 lead. 

Middle Tennessee would tie things, 2-2, in the fifth inning, then plated five in the sixth as the Blue Raiders hit around against three separate Belmont pitchers. 

Trailing 7-2 in the eighth, Belmont put together a two-out rally, with four consecutive Bruins reaching base. Slaughter drew a walk before Mason Landers singled to put men on first and third. Blake Barton delivered a base hit up the middle that scored Slaughter, and Heaton punched another base hit through to score Landers and make it 7-4 in favor of Middle Tennessee. 

The visitors added an insurance run in the top of the ninth and then stranded two Belmont baserunners in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. 

Up Next 

Belmont continues their homestand against rivalry opponents by welcoming Murray State to E.S. Rose Park this weekend for a three-game series across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m. 

Saturday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+, and live audio play-by-play of all three games will be carried on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. 

Admission to all games at E.S. Rose Park is free. 

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.          

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