COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Morehead State starter Aaron Goe held Tennessee Tech in check for eight innings and closer Matt Duncan wrapped things up with his school-record 11^th save of the season as the visiting Eagles claimed a 3-2 win Friday evening in the first game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series.

The lack of run support by the Golden Eagle offense wasted a strong pitching performance by Tech starter Tristan Archer and reliever Garrett Baugh. The two combined to strike out 10 MSU batters.

Morehead State (25-19/10-9 OVC) got a couple of home runs in the first three innings to stake Goe to a 3-0 lead, but after that were shut out by Archer and Baugh.

Tech (17-27/7-12 OVC) rallied with two runs on four hits in the sixth inning, but that was it. The MSU duo struck out nine batters, walked one and allowed just seven hits.

Goe, a freshman cruised through five innings allowing just two hits and three base runners. The Golden Eagles got back-to-back, two-out singles through the infield in the fifth by Dylan Bosheers and Tevis Sherfield but Goe worked out of the jam.

Luke Bainer knocked one over the left field fence in the first inning for his fifth of the year, a solo shot to put Morehead State up, 1-0.

In the third with a runner aboard and one out, Morehead’s leading hitter, Andrew Deeds hit a towering fly ball to right that just eluded the glove of the leaping Zephan Guyear and cleared the fence for his sixth home run of the year.

After getting just three hits through the first five innings, the Golden Eagles had four hits in the sixth. James Abraham led off the sixth with a single up the middle and Zach Stephens lined his first offering to left. With one out, Ben Burgess gave Tech its first run with a sharp single into the right field corner. Bosheers got his second hit, an RBI bloop single to right that scored Stephens to make it 3-2.

Goe worked out of the inning with a strike out and fly ball.

MSU threatened in the eighth when Baugh replaced Archer on the mound. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out, but Baugh struck out the next two batters to keep it a one-run contest.

Baugh also got two big strikeouts in the top of the ninth with two runners aboard, setting the stage for Duncan’s appearance.

He struck out the first two batters he faced, one looking and one swinging, before Sherfield worked him for a walk. Guyear flied to medium-deep right field to end the game.

Deeds and Chase Greenwell each had two of MSU’s 10 hits. For Tech, Bosheers had a multi-hit game, getting two of Tech’s seven safeties.

Goe (5-4) worked eight innings, allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Duncan (S-11) tossed one inning, walked one and struck out two.

Archer (3-4) threw 7.1 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six. Baugh pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and gave up three hits and one walk while fanning four.

The three-game series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. start, then concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.

Admission to all regular season Golden Eagle home games is free.