By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – With stellar pitching backed by an offensive explosion, the Tennessee Tech baseball team enjoyed a spoonful of sugar Sunday afternoon, capping off a promising weekend in Arkansas with a 15-2 victory over Little Rock (21-20) to claim the non-conference series over the Trojans from the Sun Belt Conference.
The game lasted just seven innings, but the Golden Eagles still managed to pile up 19 hits, including eight for extra bases. Tech's bats slugged out six doubles and two home runs.
The Golden Eagles took two-of-three over Little Rock as the season turns the corner toward the final month of action. Tech (23-19) can now turn its full attention toward hosting Ohio Valley Conference leader Southeast Missouri for a three-game series beginning Friday at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Freshman Ethan Roberts (5-1) was sensational in the starting role, handcuffing the Trojans through five scoreless innings to claim the win on the hill. He yielded five hits and one walk, and struck out two. Chase Burkett and Travis Moths each worked one inning in relief, each allowing one harmless run.
Meanwhile, eight different Golden Eagles collected hits, and eight different players scored runs for coach Matt Bragga's team, all paced by senior Jake Farr's perfect 5-for-5 day at the dish. The veteran from Strawberry Plains, Tenn., delivered five singles, scored four runs and drove in two.
The biggest numbers came from freshman Kevin Strohschein, who went 3-for-4 with six RBI and three runs scored. His day included his 14th double of the year and his 10th home run, a three-run smash in the seventh inning when the Golden Eagles tacked on a six to their 9-1 lead.
Junior Chris Brown also clubbed a three-run home run, his seventh of the year. It came in the sixth inning. He finished 2-for-5 with three RBI.
In fact, five different Golden Eagles delivered multiple RBI in the slugfest, with Farr, Ryan Flick and David Garza plating two runs apiece.
Tech took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame on Strohschein's two-run double, but the scoreboard lights were quiet for the next three full innings. Roberts powered his way through, protecting the slim 2-0 lead until the Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 5-0 with three runs in the fifth. Flick's two-run double was followed by an RBI single from Garza.
Tech made it 9-0 in the sixth on a Strohschein RBI single and Brown's dinger, before Little Rock finally scratched the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the sixth.
After Tech's outburst in the top of the seventh made it 15-1, the Trojans added an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to wrap up play.