BOX SCORE (GAME 1) | BOX SCORE (GAME 2)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It went down to the final inning of the final regular-season game, but the Morehead State baseball team held off the host Belmont Bruins 9-6 in the series finale late Saturday to earn the final Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth. The Bruins got a two-run single in the last inning of the opening game to win 6-5.

After seeing its offense held in check in the first two games, the Eagles produced two big innings in Saturday's final, erasing an early 3-1 deficit to go up 4-3 and extending their lead to 9-3 before holding off the Bruins for the win.

The Eagles earned their seventh consecutive tournament berth since 2014, improving to 24-22 to end the regular season with a 13-11 OVC mark. MSU will be the No. 3 seed in the event and will face No. 2 seed Murray State first on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET at the Ballpark of Jackson (Tenn.). Southeast Missouri is No. 1, and Austin Peay is No. 4. The Eagles won three of four against Murray State, two of three against APSU and did not play SEMO.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 1

- Freshman left-fielder Jacob Ferry put his team on top 1-0 in the fifth with a sac fly to left field. The ball scored Feltner, who had singled to the same field.
- The Bruins scored four times in the seventh inning. A bases-loaded hit by pitch from junior lefty John Bakke pushed the first run across. Belmont got a two-run single followed by an RBI double to make it 4-1. 
- MSU rallied with three in the eighth. A bases loaded RBI single by Feltner started the rally. Senior right-fielder Ryan Layne grounded into a fielder's choice but scored fellow senior Stephen Hill. Sophomore DH Alex Jacobs clubbed an RBI single that scored senior catcher Jack Gardner.
- The Eagles took the lead in the top of the ninth. Senior second baseman Bryce Hensor led off with a double, followed by a walk to freshman center-fielder Ryley Preece. Hill laid down a sac bunt back to the pitcher to move those two into scoring position. Gardner lifted a sac fly to left field to score Hensor.
- The Bruins needed just four batters against Eagle senior Jake Ziegelmeyer to score the walk-off win. A single and double led off the frame. After an intentional walk, a two-run single up the middle by Brody Heaton sealed the Eagles' fate.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 2

- Gardner doubled home Hensor in the first inning for a 1-0 lead before Belmont scored three off Eagle starter John Sherman in the bottom of the frame.
- MSU retook the lead, 4-3, via RBI singles by Hensor and Ferry in the second. Preece added an RBI ground out.
- MSU made it 5-3 in the third as freshman shortstop Colton Becker singled to score Feltner.
- The Eagles used three hit varieties to score four times in the sixth. Hensor crushed a two-run triple, Hill nailed an RBI double and Gardner added an RBI single.
- The Bruins climbed to within 9-6 in the sixth with a two-run double and an RBI single.
- Bakke came back in and tossed the next 2.1 innings, holding Belmont scoreless. Game one starter Jason Goe, who tossed 7.1 innings Friday, came on and got the Bruins out in the ninth inning for his first career save.

NOTABLE

- Feltner went 3-for-5 in the opening game and 2-for-5 in the nightcap to finish the regular season with a team-high .397 batting average. He also heads into the postseason with a 26-game hitting streak and a 35-game reached-base streak, both best in the OVC.
- Hensor had three hits in the finale and scored four times today. He finished the regular-season with 52 runs scored to lead the Eagles ... and the OVC in times crossing the plate in live action.
- Hensor's multi-hit game in both allowed him to lead the team now with 19 multi-hit efforts.
- Goe's appearance in the ninth of game two was only his fourth career relief effort, his first save ever and the first relief assignment since March 12, 2019 versus West Virginia.
- Gardner and Becker also added two hits each in the finale. It was Gardner's 12 multi-hit game and Becker's sixth.
- Sophomore righty Joe Rotkis struck out a career-high five batters in game two and collected his second career win. He tossed 2.1 innings, only allowing one hit.
- The Eagle pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts, the 13th double-digit K game this year and tied for the second-highest single-game total in 2021.
- Morehead State has a 5-5 record all-time in OVC Tournament games at the Ballpark at Jackson, winning the event in 2015.