NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont pitching staff was sharp early, and the University of Evansville baseball team was unable to break through as the Purple Aces fell 2-0 to the Bruins in a non-conference contest at E.S. Rose Park on Wednesday evening.
The Bruins (22-21) used seven pitchers over the course of the game, and the trio of Casey Queener, Austin Reynolds and Zach Hodgkiss led the way, tossing five near-perfect innings without allowing a hit before a fifth-inning two-run Nick Egli homer put the Bruins on the board.
Egli finished the game 1-for-2 at the plate, and Hodgkiss was credited with the win as he improved to 2-0 on the season.
The Aces (13-30) were out-hit in the contest 7-3, with Craig Shepherd, Andrew Tanous and Troy Beilsmith picking up the hits. Travis Tokarek, who earned a walk in the seventh inning, extended his on-base streak to 16 games.
Belmont added an insurance run with a Hunter Holland sacrifice fly in the seventh.
On the mound, Justin Hayden tossed two innings without surrendering a run to extend his personal scoreless streak to 14 innings. Austin Allinger, who gave up four hits and the Egli homer, dropped to 3-3 on the year.
UE will return to Missouri Valley Conference play later this week as the team continues its current eight-game road swing with a three-game set at Bradley, which is slated to begin on Friday evening in Peoria.
NOTES: Since 1978, UE is 2-10 against Belmont and 1-8 in games played in Nashville … In that timespan, the Aces are 35-49 against Nashville and 1-4 this season … UE is 106-96-3 against Tennessee schools … Since 1987, the Aces are 10-6 on May 3 and 221-192 in the month of May.
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