By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – In its finale with ETSU, the Tennessee Tech baseball team could not pull off the weekend sweep, falling to the Buccaneers at Thomas Stadium by a final score of 11-3 in the first-ever three-game series between the two in-state rivals.
The home team got off to a quick start and never looked back, taking a 4-0 lead in the second innings and limiting the scoring chances for the Golden Eagles along the way. The Bucs made it a 7-0 ball game in the fourth, plating a trio behind a pair of long balls.
ETSU added three more markers to the mix in the fifth, taking a 10-0 lead past the mid-way point in the ball game.
The purple and gold finally broke through offensively in the sixth, with left fielder Jason Hinchman belting a 1-2 offering down the left-field line for his sixth home run of the year to lead off the frame. It represented an historic blast for the senior, making just the fourth Golden Eagle and seventh player in Ohio Valley Conference history to register 50 tanks for a career.
He now sits just one away from tying TTU Sports Hall of Famer A.J. Kirby-Jones for third on Tech's career charts for dingers. The RBI moved him into 13th in school history in career RBI, marking his 136th.
Tech collected its second run of the ball game in the top of the seventh, this one courtesy of shortstop Ed Johnson. Collecting his seventh hit of the series, he peppered a double to left field to drive in second baseman Zach Bondurant.
ETSU answered with its 11th run in the bottom half, but the Golden Eagles responded in the eighth with another solo run. Following a walk to catcher Hayden Gilliland and a wild pitch that moved him over, right fielder John Dyer produced.
After smashing the game-winning home run in the 10th inning in Saturday's victory, Dyer came through with a one-hopping double off the wall in left field, driving in Gilliland.
On the mound, both Travis Odom and Eric Newsom turned in scoreless frames for the purple and gold, combining for a pair of strikeouts, one hit, and one walk allowed.
Tech will return to Cookeville to kick off an eight-game homestand Tuesday, playing host to North Alabama in a 5:00 p.m. CT rematch from the Golden Eagles' 11-8 victory over the Lions earlier this season.
File photo by Thomas Corhern
