MURRAY, Ky. --Â Belmont jumped out to an early lead Thursday afternoon, but a big second inning and consistent offensive pressure from Murray State proved to be the difference as the Bruins fell 9-3 in the series opener at Johnny Reagan Field.
Belmont struck first in the opening frame when Cavan McMeans delivered an RBI single to score Charlie Davis, giving the Bruins an early 1-0 advantage. The Bruins added to their lead in the second inning behind aggressive baserunning and timely hitting. Brody Langlotz drove in a run with a single on a broken bat, while a Racer fielding error allowed another run to score, extending the lead to 2-0.
Murray State responded immediately and decisively in the bottom half of the second inning. After loading the bases, Luke Mistone plated a run with an RBI double before Kris Hokenson delivered the turning point of the game, a three-run home run to right-center field that flipped the score to 4-2 in favor of the Racers.
The Racers continued to build momentum throughout the middle innings. Mistone, who finished with a game-high four RBIs on three hits, added another RBI double in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the fifth to stretch the lead to 7-2. Murray State added two more runs in the sixth inning on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly, capitalizing on nine total walks issued by Belmont pitching.
Belmont showed a brief spark in the sixth inning when Brady Holbrook launched a solo home run to left field, trimming the deficit to 7-3. However, that would be the Bruins' final offensive push as Murray State's bullpen shut the door over the final three innings.
On the mound, Tate Marland (1-2) took the loss for Belmont, allowing five runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings. Lake Morris followed out of the bullpen, surrendering four runs across 1.2 innings. Sam Heyman provided a bright spot for the Bruins, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing no hits and striking out three.
Offensively, Belmont managed five hits on the afternoon, with McMeans, Holbrook, Nate Webb, Mike Sprockett, and Langlotz each recording a hit. Holbrook and McMeans accounted for two of the Bruins' three RBIs.
Murray State was led by Mistone and Hokenson, who combined for seven RBIs, while Colby Ott scored three runs and reached base multiple times to pace the Racers' offense.
Belmont will look to bounce back in game two of the series as the Bruins aim to even the weekend set.
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