Beau Baker was lights out Tuesday at New Haven, but the Bellmont Braves did not give him any run support until the fifth inning, jumping back into a ballgame at Dave Bischoff Field and stealing a game from the Bulldogs, 8-5.Â
Baker had a whopping 11 strikeouts in just five innings of work, giving up three runs and allowing six hits.
Julius Miller was plunked to lead off the third inning and eventually came around to score on a ground out by Eli Laurent, but it was all the offense Bellmont could manage until the top of the fifth. In that inning, Gavin Krull started the rally with a hard-hit ground ball to third that was too hot to handle and Will Baker followed with a single.
Laurent then doubled both of them in and later scored himself on a double by Dylan Velez.
Bellmont scored four more runs in the sixth after Baker threw a perfect fifth inning with two strikeouts. New Haven committed two errors to lead off the inning and Miller walked to load the bases.
Never afraid of a little squeeze play, coach Tom Montgomery put the bunt on with Krull up to bat and he got it down, with everyone advancing a base. New Haven walked in another run before Andrew James lined into a double play. It got worse for Bischoff’s Bulldogs, as the New Haven reliever walked in two more runs and Bellmont ended the inning up 8-3.
Beau Baker and Keagan Martin swapped positions in the battery as Martin took the mound for the final two innings. The junior worked a flawless sixth, but allowed two hits and two runs in the seventh before Dylan Velez squeezed the final out, moving the Braves to 2-3 in the NE8.Â
Laurent finished 1 for 3 with three RBI, while Velez was 2 for 3 with two knocked in.
Will Baker had two hits at the No. 9 spot in the Braves’ lineup.