By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a barn burner at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Wednesday, as the visiting Lipscomb Bisons outlasted the Tennessee Tech baseball team, 17-14.

Each time Lipscomb (11-5) appeared to take total control of the contest, the Golden Eagles (3-12) seemed to have an answer. In the end, the Bisons held on to claim the first meeting between the two programs this season, using the home run ball to earn the win.

The visitors jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the first two innings, but the Tech pitching staff limited the damage both frames as well, stranding the bases loaded. Then, in the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagle offense took its turn.

Sophomore John Dyer started things by tripling off the wall in center field, just missing a home run by inches with the wind blowing sharply in. Three batters later, freshman Theo Bryant IV ripped a single up the middle to drive in the first run of the game for the home team.

Later in the frame, fellow rookie Brett Roberts laced a single through the left side, plating a pair and pulling his team to within just one run. Three batters later, representing the ninth batter of the inning, senior Gavin Johns wore a full-count pitch off the hand with the bases loaded to drive in the game-tying run.

Lipscomb scored once in the third and then appeared to break things open in the fourth, scoring five runs on a trio of long balls. Both sides traded zeroes heading into the bottom of the fifth, with the Bisons holding a 10-4.

Once again, the Golden Eagles had an answer. With just a single runner on base and two quick outs on the board, Tech turned in a rally. Junior Hunter Higdon kicked it off with a single down the third-base line. Roberts followed with a huge, three-run blast to center field, cutting the deficit in half with his fourth round-tripper of the season.

Senior Cody Littlejohn flicked a single to center field to prompt a pitching change. Junior slugger Jason Hinchman welcomed the new Lipscomb Hurler quickly, cracking a double to left-center field to drive in Littlejohn for another run. A single to center field by Dyer brought in the fifth run of the frame for Tech, trimming the Lipscomb lead to just one.

The Bisons collected their five-runs back in the top of the sixth and snuck one more across in the seventh to move to a 16-9 lead. Following the seventh-inning stretch, Tech unleashed the offense once more.

After the first two batters of the frame reached, Hinchman singled through the left side to plate a run. Dyer drove in another with a ground out with the bases loaded before Hinchman dented home on a wild pitch. Next up, senior Anthony Carrera smashed his first dinger of the year to right-center field, driving in two more markers to make it a two-run contest.

The Bisons added one more run in the eighth to bring the score to its eventual final of 17-14.

For the Golden Eagles, Roberts led the way with a season-high five RBI on three hits in six trips to the plate. Hinchman was impressive, finishing the day 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a pair of walks, two RBI and two runs.

Also driving in multiple runs were Dyer and Carrera while catcher Will Long, Littlejohn and Carrera each scored a pair of runs. On the pitching side, Brock Myers covered an inning and two thirds with four strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

The Tech squad will return to action on Friday, Mar. 13, playing host to Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay in a three-game series starting at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Photo by Thomas Corhern