By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team dropped the third and final game of its non-conference series at Southern Illinois Sunday afternoon, as the Salukis (21-20) defeated the Golden Eagles (30-12) 13-8.

The Golden Eagles struck first as sophomore center fielder Alex Junior led off the game with a double down the right field line. Junior third baseman Trevor Putzig ripped the next pitch into right field, driving in a run for a 1-0 lead.

The Salukis struck back in the first, plating two off back-to-back RBI doubles to take a 2-1 lead. Southern Illinois turned up the offense in the next frame, scoring three times in the bottom of the second for a 5-1 advantage.

After two more runs in the fourth, the home team looked to blow the game away with the 7-1 lead, but the Golden Eagles stormed back. In the sixth, senior catcher Chris Brown flicked a single into right field, driving in two Tech runners to cut the lead down to 7-3.

Later in the frame, with the bases loaded, junior shortstop David Garza pounded the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a bases-clearing double. After the Salukis answered with a solo run in the bottom half, Tech came back in the seventh with a home run off the bat of junior first baseman Chase Chambers.

Southern Illinois once again had an answer, however, scoring five times in the bottom of the seventh to jump out to a 13-7 advantage. Putzig singled up the middle in the eighth, trimming the lead to 13-8. The Salukis held on from there, earning the victory.

The Golden Eagles will return to action with a contest at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Tuesday evening, playing host to Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. CT.

Photo by Tony Marable