By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An inconsistent night at the ballpark left the Tennessee Tech baseball team on the wrong end of a 9-4 decision Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell in an in-state battle with former Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville.
The purple and gold (9-18) got off to a solid start offensively, plating three in the second inning in response to a run scored by the Bruins (18-12) in the bottom of the first. A lead-off walk to right fielder Theo Bryant IV and a base hit by catcher Will Long set up the Tech squad beautifully to kick off the second.
Two batters later, designated hitter Kayne Jinks ripped a one-out single to center field, plating Bryant to tie the game at 1-1. Center fielder Nicho Jordan gave Tech its first lead of the night, driving in another run on a ground out to first base.
Keeping the train moving, shortstop Troy Baunsgard made it a 3-1 lead by peppering an RBI double down the left-field line. Tech tallied three hits in the frame and mustered four through the first two innings. Unfortunately, the Golden Eagle bats couldn't get much going the rest of the night, tallying just three more knocks and one run.
Belmont answered Tech's second-inning output with a three-spot of its own, highlighted by a game-tying, two-run home run. The Bruins snagged one more run in the third to build a 5-3 advantage.
Both sides traded zeroes across the fourth, fifth, and sixth frames before the Golden Eagles broke through one more time in the seventh. With one out, first baseman John Dyer took his turn at the plate and clobbered a solo jack to left field, cutting the deficit to one.
The round-tripper marked the sixth of the season for the fifth-year senior. It also represented the 30th long ball of his career, tying him for 11th on Tech's all-time dingers chart with former shortstop Dylan Bosheers.
Once again, the Bruin offense had a response, tagging the Golden Eagles for four runs in the bottom half of the seventh for the 9-4 final score.
The Golden Eagles will finally return to Cookeville for the first time in more than two weeks, kicking off a three-game OVC series with first-time opponent Lindenwood. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on Thursday for the series opener, with a 6:00 p.m. Friday tilt to follow and a 2:00 p.m. match-up on Saturday slated to wrap things up.
File photo by Jim Dillon
