NASHVILLE – The University of Dayton baseball team's comeback fell just short against Belmont on Friday afternoon falling 7-6 at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville. Graduate student Henry Strmecki drove in four runs and hit his second home run of the season in the loss.
 
The Flyers are now 5-3 on the year while Belmont improves to 10-1 in 2022. Juniors Ben Jones and Keagan Calero each scored two runs for Dayton, with Calero reaching base in all five plate appearances in a game that saw four stolen bases by UD.
 
ON THE MOUND
Graduate student Kenny Serwa got the start, pitching into the fifth inning. The right-hander rebounded from a three-run first to allow just one run in the next three innings before allowing the first two baserunners to reach in the fifth. Serwa struck out five Bruins, but allowed six earned runs on nine hits in his four innings of work.
 
Senior Jake Silverstein got the first out in the fifth, allowing three hits and one earned run in his time on the mound. Sophomore Austin Brush would go the next 1.2 innings, getting Dayton to the seventh inning allowing just two hits without letting a run.
 
Senior Bryce Hellgeth finished the game for the Flyers, striking out four in his two scoreless innings, keeping Dayton in the game late.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1: (1-0 Flyers)
Jones opened the game with a base hit to right field on the first pitch and advanced to second on a walk by Calero. Strmecki doubled down the left field line two batters later to put Dayton ahead to start the contest against Belmont.
 
Bottom 1: (3-1 Bruins)
A leadoff walk followed by a double put two in scoring position. Serwa got the next Belmont batter to ground out to junior Omar Daniels, bringing one run home. Three straight infield singles by the Bruins scored two more runs and made it a 3-1 game.
 
Bottom 4: (4-1 Bruins)
Serwa retired the first two batters of the inning before a base hit to right field and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position. A hit by pitch followed by a base hit up the middle brought home the fourth run of the game for Belmont.
 
Top 5: (4-3 Bruins)
Calero reached on a hit by pitch and two batters later Strmecki hit his second home run of the season to left field to bring Dayton within a run in the fifth.
 
Bottom 5: (7-3 Bruins)
Two singles brought Silverstein in and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Silverstein would strike out the next Belmont hitter, but a triple followed by a single to left brought three runs in to score making it 7-3 through five innings.
 
Top 7: (7-6 Bruins)
Daniels opened the seventh with a bunt single and moved to second on a walk by Jones. Calero loaded the bases with a base hit to right center. Two batters later, Strmecki grounded a ball to third and a throwing error scored two runs to cut the lead to two runs. Strmecki would steal second and on the throw down, Calero would score to make it a 7-6 game. The Flyers were unable to score in the final two innings, finalizing the score.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return Saturday for a 3 p.m. game against the Bruins at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville.