By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It was a tough night offensively for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday, as the Golden Eagles (20-14) fell in midweek action to in-state foe and No. 5 nationally-ranked Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field, 7-0.
Commodore pitching kept the usually potent Tech attack at bay during the match-up in Nashville, holding the purple and gold to just three hits and a walk. Left fielder Jason Hinchman gathered two of the knocks for the Golden Eagles, finishing the night 2-for-3 with a double.
Vanderbilt used early scoring to do the damage on the scoreboard, plating four runs in the first inning and two more in the second. Overall on the night, the home team needed just five hits to score seven total runs, using seven walks and six hit-by-pitches to its advantage.
Five different Golden Eagle pitchers combined for four and two-thirds frames of scoreless ball on the night, allowing just one of the hits and two walks. Right-hander Colt Taylor gathered two outs in the third inning, both via the strikeout.
Matthew Meadows took over and twirled a fourth inning without a run allowed. In the seventh, Eric Newsom turned in a perfect inning with two punch-outs while Caleb Pearson followed with a scoreless frame in the eighth.
Senior Tyler Sylvester rounded out the night with one more inning for the purple and gold without allowing a run, securing one K.
The Golden Eagles will return to action Friday, Apr. 22, continuing its five-game road stretch by kicking off a three-game, Ohio Valley Conference series at UT Martin at 5:00 p.m. CT. Game two is set for a 3:00 p.m. start on Saturday. The series finale is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
File photo by Emily Armstrong
