Ninth Inning Rally Comes up Short as Baseball Falls to Lipscomb

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A two-out, ninth-inning rally came up just short for the Belmont University baseball team as they fell to Lipscomb, 8-7, at E.S. Rose Park on Tuesday afternoon in the 157th Battle of the Boulevard. 

With two outs in the ninth, Belmont (21-28, 6-15 MVC) rattled off three hits and scored three runs to erase an 8-4 deficit and put the tying man on base with the score at 8-7. However, a strikeout ended the game and neutralized the Belmont opportunity. 

The result evens the season series in the Battle of the Boulevard at one game apiece after Belmont defeated Lipscomb on March 8th, 4-1, at Ken Dugan Field. 

Blake Barton finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Sam Slaughter went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Max Blessinger ended his day 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, and Chase Katafias went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. 

Belmont out-hit Lipscomb, 12-6, but left nine men on base. 

Jalen Borders (L, 0-2) made his first start on the mound since February 18 and got off to a hot start, retiring the first six batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts before running into trouble in the third inning. 

Lipscomb (28-21, 18-6 MVC) sent eight men to the plate in the third and scored four runs on three hits and two walks. 

Belmont responded in the home fourth, as five straight men reached with one out, as Slaughter and Blessinger singled before Barton walked to load the bases.  

Chase Katafias delivered a clutch, two-RBI single through the left side before Sam Kirkpatrick was hit by a pitch to again load the bases. An Ethan Harden sacrifice fly scored Barton from third and brought the score to 4-3 in favor of Lipscomb. 

The Bisons tacked on two more runs in the fifth, and the Bruins scratched across another in the bottom of the frame as Brodey Heaton drew a walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch, getting to third on an errant pickoff attempt, and scoring on another wild pitch. 

Lipscomb led, 6-4, going into the sixth inning before manufacturing another run in the top half of that frame and getting across one more in the seventh on a Belmont error, stretching their lead to 8-4. 

Cade Granzow tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief for Belmont, allowing just one hit and striking out one. 

In the ninth, trailing by four runs, Belmont began their comeback attempt with a Jack Rando single before two straight strikeouts put the Bruins against the wall. 

Down to their final out, Sam Slaughter singled through the right side and Max Blessinger doubled to right field to score Rando. 

Blake Barton then singled to center field to drive in both Slaughter and Blessinger and bring Belmont within a run at 8-7. 

However, Lipscomb reliever Matthew Bohnert was able to retire Jeff Clarke on strikes to end the game with Barton stranded on the bases as the tying run. 

Up Next 

Belmont begins their final home series of the season on Friday as they welcome Valparaiso to town for an important three-game set in Missouri Valley Conference play. 

With six more conference games to go, Belmont sits ninth in the conference standings, one game out of the top-8 and a berth in the MVC Championships, held May 23-27 in Terre Haute, Indiana. 

All three games against Valparaiso at E.S. Rose Park will be streamed on ESPN+, with live audio play-by-play simulcast on iHeartRadio and live stats available on BelmontBruins.com. 

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

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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