Johnson City, TENN. – The Belmont baseball team earned a crucial victory over East Tennessee State, 4-1, at Howard Johnson Field in Johnson City, Tenn. on Friday evening.

The win improves Belmont to 14-23 overall and 10-12 in the Atlantic Sun conference while ETSU drops to 10-28 and 7-15 in the A-Sun.

Junior Carlo Testa (Tallmadge, Ohio) started the game for Belmont and went 7.2 innings and gave up one run on seven hits and one walk. He (4-2) had eight strikeouts in the contest.

Junior Jimmy Stanley (Lexington, Ky.) earned the save after pitching the final 1.1 innings of the contest and notched two strikeouts with no hits.

Brandon Langston earned the start for ETSU and gave up three runs, two earned, and 11 hits over seven full innings. He (2-6) had three strikeouts and two walks in the loss.

The Bruins scored the first run of the contest on a single to right field by junior Carlo Testa which scored sophomore Packy Elkins (Raleigh, N.C.) in the top of the first inning.

Belmont increased their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning on a groundout to the shortstop by Elkins which played freshman Derek Hamblen (Plano, Texas), who reached base on a triple to center field.

The Bruins tacked on another score in the top of the fifth inning on a single to left center by junior Derek Wiley (Dublin, Calif.) which scored fellow junior Brandon McCall (Spring Hill, Tenn.).

The Bucs cut the lead to 3-1 on a double to right center by Danny Petro which scored Jacob Fabry.

Belmont scored an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning on a groundout to third base by freshman Vinny Casha (Nashville, Tenn.) scoring sophomore Daniel Wagner (China Grove, N.C.).

Elkins, McCall, Testa and Wagner each had two hits in the contest.

Elkins increased his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games in the contest. Testa also increased his streak to seven games in the game.

The Bruins will return to action against ETSU on Apr. 18 at Cardinal Park starting at 1 p.m.