BOX SCORE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Morehead State baseball team will have to wait at least one more day to try to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as the Eagles were edged by Belmont 4-3 Friday at Rose Park.
The Bruins (21-29/13-15 OVC), who need to sweep the Eagles to earn a tourney berth, got an RBI fielder's choice grounder with runners on second and third to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Eagles (23-20/12-10 OVC), who dropped their fifth straight league game, can still qualify with just one more win.
The setback spoiled another solid outing from grad student
Jason Goe, who struck out seven and walked just one in 7.1 innings. But, Belmont's Joshua South and Kyle Brennan held MSU to only two hits after the fourth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Eagles scored first, getting an RBI sacrifice fly from senior second baseman
Bryce Hensor in the third inning. It scored sophomore DH
Alex Jacobs, who had walked, stole second base and moved to third on an error.
- Senior catcher
Jack Gardner staked MSU to a 3-0 lead with his 12th long ball of the season, a two-run smash to left field, in the fourth frame.
- Belmont crept to within 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. An RBI double and a balk let two runners cross the plate off Goe.
- The Bruins got the victory by tying the game on an RBI single in the eighth inning off reliever
Cory Conway after a one-out double. The winning run came in in the ninth when the first two batters got on via a walk and bunt single. After stealing second and third, a fielder's choice grounder sent the go-ahead run across the plate.
NOTABLE
- The one-run outcome was the fourth one-run decision in the last five years in games between the teams played at Rose Park. MSU won the last meeting 4-3 in seven innings in 2019 there.
- Freshman first baseman
Jackson Feltner recorded a single to extend his OVC-best reached-base streak to 33 games and OVC-best hitting streak to 24 games.
- Goe recorded five strikeouts before issuing his first base on balls in his last four starts. He had struck out 29 batters in a row without walking one.
- Senior third baseman
Stephen Hill had two of the Eagles' five hits, his 13th multi-hit game. The ranks fourth on the team.
- Conway was dealt the loss to fall to 8-3. He still ranks tied for first in the OVC with eight pitching wins.
- MSU dropped its fourth consecutive one-run game, but ironically these are the only four one-run decisions the Eagles have been involved with all season.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. ET Saturday. As stated, one win by the Eagles secures a tournament spot. If the Eagles are swept, then Jacksonville State will grab the four-team event's final spot.
