By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
KENT, Ohio – Forced on the road for the second-straight weekend due to inclement weather and poor field conditions, the Tennessee Tech baseball team fell in a pair of contests at Kent State Saturday, played at Schoonover Stadium.
The Golden Flashes (2-2) claimed a 6-1 victory in game one, played to a predetermined seven innings prior to the day. The home squad followed it up with a 17-5, game two win over the Golden Eagles (2-3).
Kent State hurler Luke Albright led the way for his team in the first game, tossing five innings with 10 strikeouts. The Major League Baseball prospect earned the win, surrendering the lone run in the contest.
In the bottom of the second, the Golden Flashes jumped out to a 3-0 lead, using an RBI double to start the scoring. A two-out, bloop single to shallow right field plated two more in the frame, with both baserunners taking off on contact.
Tech answered immediately in the top of the third, thanks to the bat of right fielder Theo Bryant IV. On the first pitch he saw, the Conley, Ga. native blasted a solo bomb to left field, his first long ball of the season.
It would turn out to be the only run surrendered by Kent State in the contest. The Golden Flashes produced single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to win 6-1.
In game two, it was another quick start for the home team, as the Golden Flashes used the home run ball to do the damage early. A two-run shot in the first and solo dinger in the second put Kent State up 3-0, but the Golden Eagles once again had an answer to the opening salvo.
With two outs in the fourth, Tech took advantage of an error by the defense, setting up true freshman Hayden Gilliland up for a clutch moment. The designated hitter came through, lacing a double down the left-field line to drive in a pair of runs, his first collegiate RBI. Just like that, the purple and gold had the deficit down to one.
The Kent State offense turned it on from that point on, exploding for seven runs in the bottom half of the frame. The Golden Flashes would go on to plate one in the fifth, three more in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth.
Tech collected a single run in the sixth off the bat of catcher Will Long, who crushed his first round-tripper of the season down the left-field line. The Golden Eagles also dented the plate twice more in the seventh, scoring twice on throwing errors by the home team.
Third baseman Gavin Johns led the purple and gold with three hits in four at-bats in game two.
The Golden Eagles and Golden Flashes will square off one more time in the series finale Sunday with a first-pitch set for noon CT at Schoonover Stadium.
Photo by Kent State Athletics
