RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Belmont Softball team fought off a comeback effort in the series finale at Eastern Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins (15-28, 8-9 OVC) defeated the Colonels (29-10, 13-3 OVC), 7-6.
The Bruins immediately jumped on it in the top of the first inning. After freshman Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.) reached on four balls, redshirt sophomore Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) smacked her third home run of the season to put two runs across. Sophomore Jess Andree (Darien, Il.) and rookie Jordan Spicer (Hendersonville, Tenn.) singled up the middle, forcing the Colonels to change pitchers. Even with the change in the circle, EKU struggled to find an answer for the Bruin bats early in the dual.
Offensively, senior Taylor Moon (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) drilled down in the circle and only allowed a single Colonel hit over the first four innings of play before BU exploded in the top of the fifth inning. Cook doubled to left and Rouse smashes her second home run of the game to expand BU's lead to 4-0. Andree followed with a double before senior Jessica Wilson (Alvin, Texas) knocked her fourth home run of the season to push BU to a 6-0 advantage. Eastern Kentucky was forced to change pitchers to try to get out of the inning and narrowly succeeded.
EKU finally got into the game in the bottom of the fifth, using a bases loaded double to send three over the plate and cut Belmont's lead in half, 6-3. By the end of the inning, despite a pitching change, the Colonels were within one run, 6-5. Eastern Kentucky managed to knot the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the sixth but an amazing play at the plate by junior Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.) ended the inning and kept EKU from scoring the go ahead run.
Belmont rebounded in the top of the seventh and kept victory in its sights. Deloney was walked and sophomore Sheyanne Meadows (Zanesville, Ohio) came in to pinch run for her. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Meadows was sent over the plate by a long single by Spicer to put BU back on top, 7-6. BU dug in and refused to allow EKU to score, using a play at first base to end the game and give Belmont the win by the same score.
For the day, Rouse and Spicer both went 3-for-4 at the plate. Rouse tallied four RBI in the win.
Inside the circle, Moon, Rouse and freshman Ashley Johnson (Kingwood, Texas) all saw action. Rouse and Johnson each notched one strikeout.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday, April 23 for a doubleheader at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins host Eastern Illinois for a dual beginning at Noon.
