By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A brilliant performance out of the bullpen and a quick love affair with the long ball helped the Tennessee Tech baseball team split its Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader with Murray State Friday evening. The Golden Eagles (10-12, 5-7) rebounded from an early, 7-2 loss in the first contest of the day to edge the Racers (14-12, 6-3), 5-4, in the series finale at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
There were plenty of fireworks in the second ballgame of the day between the two OVC rivals, with Murray State delivering the opening blow with a solo home run in the top of the first. Tech responded immediately, as leadoff man Cody Littlejohn crushed the first pitch he saw off the batter's eye in center field for his team-leading sixth long ball of the year.
Shortstop Ed Johnson followed by getting plunked for a free base and advancing to second on a wild pitch. The sophomore moved over to third on another wild offering from the Racers, setting up junior Jason Hinchman for an RBI single to third base and 2-1 lead.
In the top of the second, Murray State tied the game with its own leadoff dinger. Again, Tech had a quick response. Right fielder John Dyer reached first after getting hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom half and Littlejohn advanced him to third two batters later with a one-out single up the middle.
Johnson sent a fly ball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly to give the purple and gold the lead once again, driving in Dyer on the play. Second baseman Brett Roberts gave the Golden Eagles some breathing room, absolutely destroying the first pitch he saw in the frame clear over the fence in left-center field. The two-run bomb was his second of the year and gave Tech a 5-2 lead.
The Racers attempted a comeback, gathering their third round-tripper of the game off Tech hurler Jackson Berry, this one a two-run shot to left field. The freshman southpaw dug deep, however, closing out the top of the third without further damage.
Berry went on to work three more innings, holding the visitors off the scoreboard the rest of the way. With six frames under his belt, the rookie earned his second win of the year, finishing with four punch-outs and four runs on six hits.
Senior Grant Phillips took over on the hill to kick off the seventh for the Golden Eagles, beginning a nearly flawless performance on the mound. The Antioch, Tenn. native dealt three scoreless and hitless innings for the purple and gold, allowing just a single base runner on a two-out walk in the ninth.
Phillips picked up the team's first save of the year and the second of his career while striking out three Racers and using just 37 pitches.
In game one, it was a pitcher's duel early, with Murray State's Jack Wenninger and Tech's Ty Fisher blanking their respective opponents through the opening four frames. The Racers finally struck for three runs in the fifth, with a fielding error leading to a pair of unearned scores.
Fisher kept it going through another inning of work, finishing the day with six innings on the hill and just four hits allowed. He struck out five while allowing one earned run and three total, eventually taking the tough-luck loss.
Murray State blew the game open in the seventh with four runs, including a two-run homer to center field. Dyer got the Golden Eagles on the board in the bottom half of the frame, beating out an infield single to third base to drive in pinch-runner Theo Bryant IV.
One inning later, Hinchman provided Tech its second run, blasting a missile to left field for his third home run of the year. The Racers kept the Golden Eagles off the board in the ninth, earning the 7-2 win.
Roberts kept up his hot play with the bat during the doubleheader, finishing a combined 4-for-8 with a pair of RBI. Littlejohn racked up three hits in seven at-bats, scoring twice.
The Golden Eagles will return to action Saturday, Apr. 10, kicking off a seven-game road swing with a three-game series at College of Charleston. A doubleheader will begin the weekend, with a 10:00 a.m. CT start slated for the first contest. An 11:00 a.m. tilt is scheduled for the series finale on Sunday, Apr. 11.
File photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
