By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MURRAY, Ky. – Despite a slow start, the Tennessee Tech baseball team rallied and cruised to a 15-8 victory at Murray State Friday evening, squaring its Ohio Valley Conference series at 1-1.
Like Thursday night, the Racers (30-23, 11-12) were quick to take the lead on their home turf at Reagan Field, plating six runs in the first inning on just two hits. This time however, the Golden Eagles (26-25, 10-13) were quick to respond.
In the second, the purple and gold went to work, eventually battling all the way back to take the lead at 7-6. With a runner on first, designated hitter Luke Jones got things started for the Golden Eagles, blasting a two-run shot to left field for his sixth trot of the year and second in as many days.
A hit-by-pitch, walk, and base hit loaded the bases for Tech and prompted a pitching change for the Racers, but it didn't make a difference. On the first pitch he saw from the new Murray State hurler, third baseman Gabe Lacy used one swing to even the score at 6-6. Crushing his third grand slam of the year, and tying a program record for most in a single season in the process, Lacy tallied his 11th dinger of the season.
Left fielder Jason Hinchman made it back-to-back jacks four pitches later, smashing a hanging breaking ball to left-center field for his 22nd round-tripper of the season and 66th of his career, extending the OVC and program record. His tank marked Tech's 100th of the year as well, ranking the 2022 squad second in program history to just the 2018 team and its 135 long balls.
Shortstop Ed Johnson eked the lead out by another run in the third, poking an RBI double to right-center field, but the Racers answered back immediately with a run in the bottom of the third. Up 8-7, Tech again tried to expand its advantage in the fifth, with Hinchman providing an RBI single to left field. Again, the home team matched the effort with a solo run to cut the deficit back to one.
In the sixth, the Golden Eagles kept applying the pressure, finally gathering some breathing room thanks to RBI base knocks by second baseman Noah Hattier and Johnson.
Leading 11-8, Tech put the game out of reach for good in the eighth, blowing things open with four more runs. Johnson started with an RBI single up the middle and was followed by an RBI single to shortstop by Lacy. Hinchman drove in two more with a base hit to left field, accounting for the 15-8 final.
Both Johnson and Jones led the Tech bats with four hits each, with Johnson boasting three RBI and three runs scored while Jones scored four times with two RBI. Lacy paced the team with five RBI on three hits while Hinchman tacked on four RBI with one scored. Hattier and catcher Hayden Gilliland each recorded three hits as well.
On the mound, Brock Myers (5-1) picked up his fifth win of the year, finishing the final five frames with just one earned run allowed. The senior scattered four hits and a walk while striking out six Racer batters. Connor Adams added three and two-third frames of solid relief prior to Myers' entrance, allowing two runs while fanning four.
First pitch for Saturday's series and regular-season finale has been officially moved up one hour to a 12:00 p.m. CT start at Reagan Field.
File photo by Emily Armstrong
