The Belmont baseball team secured another series victory by taking the second of a three game series against Murray State Friday, squeaking out a 13-11 win at E. S. Rose Park.
Belmont, with its 13-7 conference record, currently trails first place Jacksonville State while Murray State fell to fifth.
Sophomore Logan Bowen brought home his fourth win for the Bruins.
Throughout the game, senior Casey Queener struck out nine, and sophomore Kyle Brennan struck out three.
Murray State scored early with a run in the first inning when sophomore catcher Jackson Campbell misplayed a pitch, allowing the runner on third to steal home.
After a quiet second inning, Belmont responded in the third when senior Chas Hadden singled to left field and took second on a Murray State error, giving freshman John Behrends the opportunity to round the bases and score.
With the score tied 1-1, the Bruins tallied again in the fourth with freshman Grayson Taylor singled and drove in a run.
After two more runs were scored when Campbell doubled to left field, the Bruins looked as though they could continue their win streak.
Murray State was able to squeeze out two more runs at the top of the fifth, but Belmont stalled their hopes of coming back when freshman Tommy Crider crushed a grand slam to center field, the score standing at 8-3.
Murray State cranked two home runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game 9-9.
At the bottom of the seventh, Campbell continued his big day at the plate by ripping a double to left center, bringing home Behrends and Crider. He and senior Zach Ehrhart then scored off wild pitches.
The 13-9 score once again put Belmont on top.
Murray State made the game close in the ninth inning when two more runs scored, but couldn’t quite catch the Bruins’ pace.
With the Bruins second straight win over Murray State, it brings them closer to first place Jacksonville State in the conference standings.
If the rain can hold up, Belmont looks to sweep the series on Saturday at E.S. Rose Park at 1 p.m..
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This article by Laura Privott. Photo by Carina Eudy.