Heaton Hits Grand Slam, Baseball Takes Down Valparaiso, 10-9, at MVC Championship

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A nine-run second inning catapulted the Belmont University baseball team to a thrilling 10-9 win over Valparaiso in an elimination game at the MVC Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Indiana.
 
Belmont (26-32) advances to Thursday's slate of games and will face No. 3 seed Southern Illinois in another elimination game at 9 a.m. ET from Bob Warn Field.
 
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the second inning, the Bruins responded by sending 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the second inning.
 
Sam Slaughter and Max Blessinger started things with back-to-back singles, then Sam Kirkpatrick put a bunt down the third base line that was mishandled by the pitcher, allowing Slaughter to score.
 
Jack Rando then delivered a single through the right-side on a two-strike count, bringing in Blessinger and making the score 3-2 in favor of the Beacons.
 
After the second out in the second inning was recorded on a pop-up, Belmont proceeded to score seven straight runs with two outs.
 
Jeff Clarke drove in Kirkpatrick with a single to tie the game, 3-3, then Mason Landers was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
 
Brodey Heaton stepped in and blasted a grand slam over the left field fence, his third home run of the tournament, to open up a 7-3 lead on one swing.
 
In two games this week in Terre Haute, Heaton is now 4-for-8 with three home runs and eight RBIs.
 
After Slaughter drew a walk to keep the big inning alive, Max Blessinger smoked a two-run home run to left field, his second home run in as many days at the tournament.
 
When the dust cleared, Belmont had scored nine runs in the second inning to lead, 9-3. Seven of the nine runs came across with two outs.
 
Dominic Baratta and Will Pryor (W, 4-2) kept Valparaiso at arm's length, but the Beacons chipped away at the Bruin lead, scoring two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth to make it a 9-8 ballgame.
 
The Bruins got a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, as they took advantage of a Kirkpatrick double and a Valparaiso throwing error to score one more on a Jack Rando bunt, bringing the score to 10-8.
 
Valparaiso hit a solo home run in the eighth to bring the margin back to a run, but that would be the only hit the Beacons would get off of Ethan Harden (SV, 7) across 3.1 sparkling innings in relief.
 
Harden struck out one and walked one on 42 pitches while getting the final ten outs, picking up his seventh save of the season in the process.
 
Max Blessinger finished 2-for-4 with a home run, and Sam Kirkpatrick ended his day 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
 
Up Next
 
Belmont will face No. 3 seed Southern Illinois on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. ET/8 a.m. CT at Bob Warn Field in an elimination game. If the Bruins are able to take down the Salukis, they would play again on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET against the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 6 seed UIC and No. 1 seed Indiana State.

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