By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An early lead couldn't hold up for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to No. 7 nationally-ranked Vanderbilt, 12-1, at Hawkins Field in Nashville.

The purple and gold got on the board first in the contest, scoring its lone run in the second inning to take a 1-0 advantage. Shortstop Troy Baunsgard singled down the right-field line with one out and first baseman John Dyer drew a walk to keep the pressure on.

Vanderbilt picked up a second out, looking to close the inning clean, but Tech had other ideas. Left fielder Austin Turner worked an eight-pitch at-bat and then provided the big hit, ripping a single to center field to drive in Baunsgard for the 1-0 lead.

The Commodores answered in the third, plating the tying run with a solo blast of Tech starter Hunter Mann. It marked the only run the Golden Eagle hurler would surrender, finishing the night with three innings of work, one strikeout, and zero walks.

The home squad used the next four innings to do its damage, scoring five times in the fourth to take the lead for good. Vandy tacked on two more markers in the fifth and three more in the sixth before presenting its final run in the seventh for the 12-1 final.

Both Jaxson Pease and Elvin Delic recorded two-thirds of an inning of scoreless work each. Pease allowed just one hit with a strikeout while Delic did not allow a base runner with one punch out.

Turner finished 2-for-3 with the team's lone RBI while four other Golden Eagles picked up hits on the night.

The Golden Eagles will return home to host North Alabama in a three-game, weekend series starting Friday with a 3:00 p.m. CT tilt. Game two is set for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday while the finale is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

File photo by Jim Dillon