By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An early offensive onslaught and dazzling effort out of the bullpen powered the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a clutch, 9-5 victory over Little Rock Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (18-29, 9-11) evened the Ohio Valley Conference series at Gary Hogan Field.
After being held scoreless in Friday's series opener, the Tech bats answered the bell right out of the gates on Saturday, rocking six hits for seven runs in the ball game's opening frame. Little Rock (28-19, 13-6) managed a pair of quick outs to kick off the contest, but the purple and gold turned in a two-out rally for the ages to set the tone.
Third baseman Peyton Mills started the run, ripping a base hit up the middle. Three pitches later, facing a 1-2 count, first baseman John Dyer continued his eye-popping second half of the season by clobbering a two-run blast to left field to put Tech on the board, 2-0.
The home run was a historic one for the slugger, making Dyer just the fifth different Golden Eagle to smash 20 long balls in a single season. The senior's OVC-leading 20th of the year also represented the 44th of his career, moving him into a tie for 17th on the league's all-time chart for dingers.
It also marked Dyer's 19th straight game with a base hit, tying the fifth-longest streak in program history for a single season and the sixth-longest in team history overall. The veteran Tech bat has now crushed 12 nukes in his last 14 games and 19 in the past 28 Golden Eagle contests.
Catcher Hayden Gilliland drew a walk following Dyer's two-run bomb before a throwing error by the Trojans allowed designated hitter Preston Ford to reach safely and keep the inning alive. Second baseman Eddie Garza ripped a single through the left side to drive in a run for a 3-0 lead.
On another 1-2 count, the Golden Eagles made the home team pay for the mistake earlier in the frame, as right fielder Theo Bryant IV launched a three-run jack to left field to make it a 6-0 Tech lead. Center fielder Nicho Jordan kept the pressure on, belting a double to center, setting up Troy Baunsgard for an RBI single to right field.
The base knock not only provided a 7-0, first-inning advantage for the Cookeville crew, it also elevated Baunsgard's reached base streak to an incredible 44 straight games. Reaching in every contest he's donned the purple and gold, the shortstop now sits just one game back from tying the second-longest streak in program history of 45 set by All-American Jason Hinchman last season.
Little Rock got two runs back in the second inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and RBI single. The Trojans added another in the third on a lead-off homer, cutting the Tech lead to 7-3.
The home squad kept the pressure alive in the fourth, driving in another run and putting runners on first and second with one out to end Tech starter Brock Smith's day. The southpaw tossed three and one-third frames with four punch-outs and four runs allowed.
Entering the ball game and delivering another remarkable performance out of the bullpen was redshirt junior Jacob Morin. Facing a tough situation, the right-hander responded with two quick outs on just three pitches to escape further damage and keep the Golden Eagles out front by three.
He set down the side in order in the fifth and overcame a defensive error by the purple and gold in the sixth to face the minimum again, inducing an inning-ending double play. The Tech offense rewarded the hurler's tenacity in the seventh, providing some critical insurance.
The Golden Eagles loaded the bases to open the frame, setting up Ford for a big at-bat. The junior delivered, ripping a two-run single to center field on an 0-2 pitch to push the Tech lead out to 9-4.
Morin returned to the mound to retire three more Trojans in order. In the eighth, Little Rock finally found a flaw with the Golden Eagle reliever and jumped on it, sending a mistake to left field for a solo shot with one out. Undeterred, the Tech righty responded with a strikeout and, following a defensive error, ended the frame with a ground ball to first base.
For good measure, the Morin ended the ball game for the purple and gold, working a scoreless ninth to earn his third win of the season. He ended the day with five and two-thirds innings of work, allowing just one hit and one run while striking out five and issuing no walks. Just three Trojans reached base against the Tech arm, with two coming on the benefit of errors.
Eight different Golden Eagles secured at least one hit on the day, with Mills, Dyer, Bryant, and Jordan all picking up two each. Bryant led the squad with three RBI while Dyer and Ford each added two. Both Mills and Dyer scored twice.
The series rubber match is slated for a 1:00 p.m. CT start Sunday afternoon. With a win, the Golden Eagles can secure a spot in the OVC Tournament for the second straight year and pull to within one victory from .500 in league play this season.
File photo by Jim Dillon
