NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Derek Wiley’s (Dublin, Calif.) solo home run wasn’t enough to lift Belmont, as the Bruins dropped its contest against Austin Peay, 5-3, at Greer Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Wednesday.

The loss drops Belmont to 4-9 while Austin Peay improves to 7-5.

The loss is Belmont’s fifth consecutive of the season.

Austin Peay now holds a lifetime series lead over Belmont, 38-20. Belmont head coach Dave Jarvis is now 8-13 lifetime against the Governors.

Freshman Dane Swinehart (Lancaster, Ohio) started the game for Belmont and pitched three full innings, giving up five hits, one earned run and striking out four in the loss. His record for the season is now 1-1.

Jake Brisbin earned the win for Austin Peay after pitching 5.1 innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. His record is now 1-1.

Daniel Tenholder pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Governors to notch his second save of the season.

Belmont got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly to right by junior Carlo Testa (Tallmadge, Ohio), scoring sophomore Daniel Wagner (China Grove, N.C.).

The Governors responded with three runs in the top of the second inning which was highlighted by J.B.Gilbert’s home run to left field with Chad Cunningham on base. The two-run homer was Gilbert’s first of the season.

Austin Peay continued the offensive pressure in the top of the third inning with a solo home run to right field by Matt Kole to make the score 4-1 in favor of the Governors. It was his first home run of the season.

The Governors scored another run in the top of the fifth inning through another solo home run, this one by Tyler Farrar to left field. That was also Farrar’s first homer of the season.

Belmont cut the lead with Wiley’s solo home run to left center in the bottom of the fifth inning and also scored another run in the bottom of the sixth through an RBI infield single to the shortstop by junior Brandon McCall (Spring Hill, Tenn.) which scored sophomore Packy Elkins (Raleigh, N.C.). The score was 5-3 in favor of Austin Peay and that result would stick.

The Bruins held Austin Peay scoreless for the final three innings of the game and were propelled by the relief efforts of freshman Chad Fromm (Cleveland, Tenn.), who pitched the seventh and eighth innings, and junior Chris Manning (Nashville, Tenn.), who pitched the ninth.

Testa increased his hitting streak to a career-tying 16 games with a single to right field in the fourth inning. Freshman Bryan Taylor’s eight-game hitting streak ended in the game.

Belmont will return to action on Mar 14 against Atlantic Sun foe, North Florida, at Greer Stadium beginning at 3 p.m.