Scoring runs has been a problem for the Bellmont Braves’ baseball team this spring—they’re htting only .215 as a team–but Wednesday against the visiting New Haven Bulldogs they broke out with 10 hits and 10 runs to pick up an NE8 conference win, 10-6.
The win broke a four-game losing streak and improved Bellmont’s record to 4-10-1 (2-3 in the NE8). New Haven falls to 4-14 and 0-4.
The Bulldogs led early, thanks to Mason Knoch’s two-out, two-run homer to left in the top of the first inning.
Singles by Andrew James and Beau Baker, followed by a sacrifice fly from Keagan Martin, closed the gap to 2-1 in the Braves’ half of the inning.
New Haven slammed five hits in the third inning and, helped by a pair of Bellmont errors and a passed ball, scored three runs to go up 5-1. Bellmont countered with a run in the bottom of the inning on Will Baker’s RBI single, driving in Jack Scheumann, who had led off with a walk.
In the bottom of the fourth, pitcher Beau Baker lined a single to center to drive in Oliver Werling and James to make it 5-4. The Braves tied in in the fifth when Will Baker led off with a triple to right and Dylan Velez brought him home with a double to left.
The Bulldogs regained the lead at 6-5 in the sixth on Bryant Wake’s home run.
Down by a run and staring a fifth straight loss in the face, the Braves showed reliance with a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-5 lead. James led off with a double and scored when the New Haven shortstop erred on Scheumann’s grounder, tying the game. Beau Baker then got his third hit of the game to drive in Scheumann for what turned out to be the winning run. Martin doubled in Lane Lemaster (courtesy running for Baker) for the Braves’ eighth run, and they added two more on New Haven errors.
Beau Baker earned the win, striking out six and walking only one. Exner took the loss for New Haven in relief of Knoch, who went the first four innings.
The Braves take on NE8 foe Dekalb at home Friday at 5:30.
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