Sunday, April 22, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Apr. 22, 2007) - Senior Ryan Howe (Greenville, Tenn.) drove in the game winning run in the fifth inning with his first career RBI, a single up the middle, and senior Caleb Glafenhein (Knoxville, Tenn.) tossed his fourth complete game of the season as the Bucs snapped their six-game losing skid and salvaged the weekend series against Belmont with an 8-4 victory Sunday afternoon at Shelby Park.

Leading 4-3 in the fifth inning, freshman Tanner Moore (Chattanooga, Tenn.) reached on a one-out double into left field, and following a strikeout, Howe lined a 1-2 pitch back up the middle plating the eventual game-winner.

Glafenhein (12-3) threw 142 pitches, notching his fourth complete game in his last five starts, and allowed just one run and four hits over the final six innings while striking out three and earning his nation-leading 12^th win of the season.  Glafenhein's 12 wins also ties Matt Baber's eight-year old single-season wins school record.  

The Bucs (25-18, 11-7 A-Sun) took a 2-1 lead in the third inning, tying the game when sophomore Troy Mendez (Roswell, Ga.) scored from second base on a throwing error by Belmont starting pitcher Carlo Testa.  Senior C.J. Lee (Bristol, Va.), who reached on that throwing error, scored  the second Buc run on senior Justin Aughey's (Davie, Fla.) double to left center field.

After the Bruins (24-16, 11-7 A-Sun) reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third, the Bucs scored two more in the fourth and never trailed again.  Junior Brandon Langston (Ringgold, Ga.) led off the inning with a walk, and sophomore Ben Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.) belted his second home run of the season over the left field fence.

Moore delivered a bases loaded single through the right side in the top of the eighth, bringing home a pair of insurance runs in the form of Lee and Aughey.  Freshman Ryan Self (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) tripled into the right field corner in the ninth, and Mendez followed with a single into right field notching the Bucs' eighth and final run.

Allen finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Moore was 2-for-5 with two RBI and run scored.

Testa allowed four runs on six hits in four innings of work, falling to 3-3 on the season.  Third baseman Matt Reynolds led the Bruins offensively, scoring two runs and finished 3-for-5 at the plate

The Bucs return home Tuesday night, taking on state rival Tennessee at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Park.