By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was an offensive night at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Friday, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team fell to Lindenwood in Ohio Valley Conference action, 19-12.
The Lions (7-24, 4-4) claimed the series over the Golden Eagles (9-20, 1-4), using 17 hits to outgun the home squad for the second straight day. Lindenwood took a 2-0 lead over the first two innings, but Tech kept things close early.
In the bottom of the second, shortstop Tanner Shiver drove in the first run of the game for the purple and gold with a sacrifice fly to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Moving to the third, the visitors struck gold with a grand slam, bursting out to a five-run advantage.
The Golden Eagles responded immediately, picking up one run on an RBI single through the left side by first baseman John Dyer. Catcher Will Long followed, uncorking a monster swing on the first pitch he saw and blasting a three-run shot to left field for his first long ball of the season. It cut the Lindenwood lead to just one.
Neither side could must any offense in the fourth, but the Lions broke the game open in the fifth, plating six runs for a 12-5 lead. Dyer took back one run for the home crew in the bottom half, crushing a solo jack to center field for his seventh round-tripper of the year.
The blast marked the fifth-year senior's 31st of his career, giving him sole possession of 11th on the program's all-time career home run charts and breaking a tie with shortstop Dylan Bosheers.
The visitors grabbed their own dinger in the sixth to push back out by seven and held Tech to just one run in the bottom of the frame, despite fighting the bases loaded. Second baseman Troy Baunsgard drew a bases-loaded walk, but the Golden Eagles couldn't muster anything else in the inning.
Lindenwood struck for another four runs in the seventh, doubling Tech's output in the frame. The purple and gold scored twice following the stretch, starting with an RBI double down the left-field line by Shiver. He came around to score later in the frame on a dropped fly ball in left field.
The Lions closed the game with a pair in the top of the ninth to reach 19 for the contest, but Tech refused to go down quietly. The Golden Eagles secured three runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Shiver scoring first on a wild pitch.
With two outs, third baseman Peyton Mills made one last splash, smashing a two-run moon shot to left-center field for his 11th bomb of the season.
Dyer was a massive bright spot for the Golden Eagle lineup on the night, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 with two RBI and four runs scored. He became just the eighth player in program history to finish a game 5-for-5 or better. Kevin Strohschein finished a contest 6-for-6 while Ed Johnson, Nick Osborne, Trevor Putzig, Jake Farr (twice), Zach Stephens, and Casanova Donaldson all accomplished the feat.
The series finale is slated for a 2:00 p.m. CT first pitch Saturday afternoon at the Quill.
Photo by Jim Dillon
