VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Belmont dropped a tightly contested series finale on Sunday afternoon, falling 5-2 to Valparaiso at Emory G. Bauer Field.
The Bruins showed flashes offensively but were unable to overcome a pivotal middle-inning surge from the Beacons, who secured the rubber match victory behind timely hitting and steady pitching.
Belmont struck first in the fourth inning, briefly seizing momentum. After Nate Webb ignited the offense with one of his three hits on the day, Brody Langlotz delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, launching a two-run home run to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead. The blast marked Langlotz's third of the season and put Belmont in control early.
However, the turning point came immediately after.
Valparaiso responded with a decisive four-run stretch across the third and fourth innings, flipping the game's momentum for good. After scoring single runs in the second and third to tie things, the Beacons capitalized in the fourth inning against Belmont's bullpen. A combination of timely hits and situational execution allowed Valparaiso to plate two more runs, turning a 2-2 game into a 4-2 deficit for the Bruins.
From there, Belmont was unable to recover.
Despite finishing with seven hits, the Bruins struggled to produce in key moments, leaving eight runners on base and going quiet offensively over the final five innings. Webb led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, while Landon Godsey added two hits, but Belmont could not string together the necessary hits to mount a comeback.
On the mound, Belmont utilized a staff approach, with five pitchers combining to cover the game. Lake Morris provided the start, allowing two runs over 3.1 innings, while Owen Marsh was charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in relief. Krish Gandhi and Brooks McDonnough helped stabilize things out of the bullpen, but Valparaiso added an insurance run in the eighth to seal the outcome.
Valparaiso tallied 10 hits on the afternoon and capitalized on scoring opportunities, highlighted by a three-RBI performance from Case Sullivan. The Beacons' pitching staff also delivered when it mattered, limiting Belmont to just one hit over the final three innings.
With the loss, Belmont drops the series and falls just below .500 in conference play heading into the next stretch of the season.
