NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - The Belmont Bruins (16-13) traveled down Belmont Boulevard to rival Lipscomb (7-20) Wednesday afternoon. After March's game was postponed, the Bruins and Bisons faced off at Ken Dugan Field. An early offensive explosion from the Bruins and starter
Blake Ciuffetelli's seven strikeouts carried Belmont to the win column, 9-5.
Bruin Bullets
- Blake Ciuffetelli earned his first win in a Belmont uniform. Ciuffetelli went four innings, allowed two runs on two hits, and tied his career-high with seven strikeouts. In his last three starts, Ciuffetelli has struck out 19 batters.
- Jack Rando went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in the second inning. It was the first Belmont grand slam since Blake Barton's on April 2, 2023, against Evansville.
- Mason Landers went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a solo home run. He now has 11 homers on the season.
- Sam Slaughter led off the game with a solo home run.
- Michael Lareau went 1-for-3 and scored twice.
- Jett Thielke returned to the bullpen for the Bruins. Thielke allowed one run on two hits, and fanned two Bisons in the fifth inning.
- Bill Duby and Hank Liss each tossed scoreless innings with a strikeout.
- Belmont improves to 36-22 all-time against Lipscomb.
It only took two pitches for Belmont to get on the board in the first inning.
Sam Slaughter smoked a leadoff solo home run to right center.
Belmont started cooking in the second inning.
Jeff Clarke hit an RBI single off the center field wall to score
Blake Barton. A walk issued to
Michael Lareau loaded the bases for the Bruins with one out.
Jack Rando demolished the two-out payoff pitch to left field. Rando's grand slam gave Belmont a 6-0 lead.
Mason Landers homered in the next at-bat to left field. Belmont carried a commanding 7-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.
Lipscomb got on the board in the third inning. Following a hit batter, David Coppedge hit a two-run home run to left field.
Blake Ciuffetelli left one runner stranded to end the inning.
The Bruins responded in the fourth. Lareau singled with one out, and advanced to third on a two-out single from Rando. Landers singled past a diving third baseman, and put Belmont back in front by six runs.
Ciuffetelli continued to dominate and fill up the zone on the mound. The southpaw recorded a pair of looking strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth, which brought his total to seven. He exited the game after the inning after he tied his career-high in strikeouts.
The Bisons scored three unanswered runs in the next three innings. Going into the eighth inning, Belmont's lead was cut to 8-5.
Belmont added a run in the ninth inning on a
Brodey Heaton RBI single.
Hank Liss sealed the deal for the Bruins in the bottom half. Belmont improved to 16-13 on the season and extended their win streak to four games.
Up Next
Belmont welcomes Evansville to E.S. Rose Park for a three-game series. Game one of the series is Friday, April 5. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. Fans can tune into the action on ESPN+, iHeartRadio, or with live stats.
Follow Belmont baseball on social media -
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@belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the
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