NASHVILLE – The University of Dayton baseball team used a ninth-inning rally to beat Belmont 11-9, taking the series from the Bruins. Graduate student Henry Strmecki go-ahead two-run double in the top of the ninth gave the Flyers the lead for good in the series finale.
 
Dayton has now won each of their first three series in 2022 after sweeping North Carolina A&T and taking two of three from Evansville last weekend. The Flyers offense also got three hits from senior Jay Curtis and junior Keagan Calero, with all three of the hits from Curtis being doubles.
 
Runs came in bunches for the Flyers, scoring five runs in two different innings, battling back from down 5-0 and 9-6.
 
ON THE MOUND
Junior Anthony Hattrup started the contest for the Flyers, pitching the first two innings giving up just one earned run on three hits before in his time on the mound. He was relieved by redshirt junior Cody Whitten. The lefty went the next 3.2 innings for the Flyers, giving up two runs on four hits and picking up a pair of strikeouts.
 
Redshirt junior Nick Maue was next out of the Dayton bullpen, going the next 1.2 innings giving up two runs on three hits. Sophomore Eli Majick picked up his first career win as a Flyer going the next inning for Dayton. The sophomore allowed just two hits without allowing a run and striking out one Belmont hitter.
 
Sophomore Austin Brush picked up his first career save, getting the last two outs for the Flyers to take the series in Nashville. Brush went two-thirds of an inning picking up a strikeout and finishing the finale.
 
The Flyers pitchers also limited the free passes, walking just two Bruins on Sunday.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Bottom 2: (5-0 Bruins)
Belmont led off the inning with back-to-back singles before a throwing error on Hattrup went into left field and brought in the first run of the game. A walk followed by another base hit scored a second run and an error by senior Marcos Pujols brought two more runs in making it a 4-0 game. The Bruins got the final run on an RBI groundout making it 5-0 early.
 
Top 4: (5-5 Tie)
Calero led off the inning with a base hit to center and followed it up by stealing second, one of three stolen bases on the day for the junior. Strmecki drew a one-out walk and a base hit by graduate student Alexis Castillo brought home Dayton's first run of the game. Curtis followed that with one of his three doubles, scoring Strmecki from second to cut the lead to three. A triple by junior Alex Neff scored Castillo and Curtis to make it a one-run game and a wild pitch would score Neff and tie it at five.
 
Top 5: (6-5 Flyers)
Calero hit a one-out double and would score on a base hit by Pujols to give the Flyers their first lead of the contest.
 
Bottom 5: (7-6 Bruins)
A leadoff double and a stolen base put a runner on third and a Belmont triple tied it at six. A ground out to junior Ben Jones scored the second runner of the inning to give the Bruins the lead back.
 
Bottom 7: (9-6 Bruins)
A one-out single and a ground-rule double put two on and two out. A single to left field scored two runs and put the Dayton deficit at three runs.
 
Top 9: (11-9 Flyers)
Curtis hit his third double of the day to lead off the ninth inning and would advance to third on a wild pitch. Walks by redshirt freshman Andrew Casey and junior Omar Daniels loaded the bases for Jones, who singled to left center field to plate two runs and cut the lead to one. Calero followed that with a single, scoring pinch runner Nick Lukac to tie it and two batters later Strmecki hit a line drive down the left field line, scoring the two go-ahead runs and giving Dayton the lead for good.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers begin a six-game week with a rivalry game against Wright State. Dayton heads to Nischwitz Stadium Tuesday for a 3 p.m. contest against the Raiders.