NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Wofford baseball team gave its best go at a comeback at E.S. Rose Park, pulling within a run late, but the Terriers would leave the tying run in scoring position in the ninth, falling 6-5 to Belmont. The result sees Wofford fall to 12-8, while Belmont improves to 14-6.
Josh Vitus (1-3) suffered the loss as the starter for Wofford after tossing 3.0 innings and giving up four runs on five hits and a walk. He fanned three.
Coulson Buchanan was effective as the middle arm, throwing 4.0 innings with eight punchouts to equal his career-high. The freshman allowed two runs on five hits and a walk.
Dalton Rhadans retired the side in order in his single inning, striking out two.
Bruin starter Andy Bean (3-1) earned the win in 6.0 strong innings, giving up just one run. Kyle Brennan (9) recorded a save by pitching the final 1.2 innings and allowing only a run.
John Dempsey continued his hot streak, accounting for half of Wofford's six hits on the day, and two of those three were round-trippers. This marks Dempsey's first multi-homer game of the season and just the second for the Terriers in the campaign. Dempsey has now gone yard in three-straight games. The senior totaled four RBI, all but one of Wofford's six runs. Wofford's other three hits were knocked by
Brice Martinez,
Brennen Dorighi and
Gunnar Johnson, with Dorighi and Johnson's both coming in pinch-hit fashion. The only RBI not accounted for by Dempsey was knocked in by
Jack Renwick.
Belmont struck first in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run to right field.
Wofford immediately responded with a long ball of its own when
John Dempsey lifted a solo dinger over the right field wall to cut the deficit in half. The Terriers trailed 2-1.
The Bruins would extend their lead in the bottom of the third, adding two more runs. Both came from a two-out two RBI single, making the score 4-1.
The Terriers pulled closer, cutting the deficit in half once more by manufacturing a run in the top of the seventh inning. A fielder's choice allowed
Zeb Roos to reach base, and he was followed by a pinch-hit single from
Brennen Dorighi.
Brice Martinez wore a pitch to load the bases, and
Jack Renwick executed a sacrifice bunt perfectly to plate Roos. The score was 4-2 in favor of Belmont.
The Bruins immediately got that run back and added another in the bottom of the frame. With a runner on, Belmont delivered a two-out triple to score, and a single by the very next batter brought that Bruin in to score. Belmont's lead was 6-2 after seven.
The Terriers were not deterred and kept fighting, pushing across three runs in the top of the eighth to pull within one. A hit batsman and walk put two runners on base, forcing the Bruins to go to the bullpen. Dempsey stepped up to the dish and gave the new arm a warm welcome by belting his second long ball of the game to right field to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
Wofford's comeback attempt saw one final push in the top of the ninth with
Marshall Toole getting to second base with two outs, but the Bruins induced a flyout to end the game, marking a 6-5 loss for the Terriers.
Wofford returns to the diamond in Nashville tomorrow afternoon for the rubber match with Belmont. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET with the game streaming on ESPN+.
