By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Yet another late rally came up just short for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to visiting Morehead State in their Ohio Valley Conference opener, 5-2, at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The purple and gold dented the scoreboard early, garnering a base hit off the bat of third baseman Gabe Lacy with one out in the first. The junior swiped second for his first steal of the season and advanced to third on a fly ball to the wall by left fielder Jason Hinchman.
Tech scored on the next play, a ground ball that seemed likely to be the third out, but was muffed at first base by the covering pitcher. Lacy crossed home plate safely on the error to give Tech a 1-0 lead.
Morehead State cruised on the mound from there, holding the home squad without another hit until the ninth inning. With the Golden Eagle struggling to get much going, the visiting Eagles tied the contest in the fifth with a solo run.
The visitors then took the lead in the seventh, using small ball and a timely base hit to plate the go-ahead marker. In the top of the ninth, Morehead added three big insurance runs, advancing out front even more at 5-1.
The Golden Eagles made things quite interesting in the bottom of the frame, with Hinchman leading things off with an infield single to third base. Morehead State turned to its closer, John Bakke, but things got a little dicey for the team's southpaw.
Luke Jones pinch-hit for the purple and gold and laced a 1-2 offering through the right side. After recording the first out, Bakke plunked Tech first baseman John Dyer to load the bases. He collected his second punch-out of the frame to pull within an out, but the Golden Eagles had more to give.
Golston Gillespie took his turn as a pinch hitter, drawing a four-pitch walk to drive in Tech's second run of the ball game. Bakke rebounded for one more strikeout to end the threat and the contest.
Peyton Calitri took the tough-luck loss on the night, despite holding Morehead to just two earned runs on seven hits over six and two-thirds frames. Reliever Jarrett Miller picked up the win with two and one-third innings of work out of the bullpen for Morehead, fanning four and allowing just one run.
The series will continue Saturday afternoon, with first pitch for game two slated for a 2:00 p.m. CT start. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Dylan Vazzano on the call.
File photo by Jim Dillon
