By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An early back-and-forth affair turned one-sided at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Thursday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech baseball fell in its Ohio Valley Conference series opener against Little Rock, 15-6.
The visiting Trojans (30-22, 17-8) opened a barrage of a fifth inning by plating five runs behind five hits and a Golden Eagle error. Tech (29-23, 13-12) responded in kind in the bottom of the frame, picking up a pair of runs to cut into the deficit.
Right fielder Theo Bryant IV got Tech on the board with a lead-off laser that cleared the wall in right-center field, the veteran's 10th home run of the season. Later in the inning, first baseman Preston Ford ripped an RBI single through the left side to make it a 5-2 ball game.
The purple and gold added two more to the mix in the bottom of the fourth, thanks again to the bat of Ford. The senior fired a two-run base knock the other way to right field, trimming the deficit to just a single run. Center fielder Nicho Jordan tied the contest in the fifth, driving in a run on a fielder's choice to first base.
Little Rock quickly jumped back on top with a couple of markers in the sixth inning, moving back in front 7-5. Tech got one back in the bottom of the frame, courtesy of a sacrifice fly ball to left field by catcher Hayden Gilliland, turning it into a 7-6 game.
It was the seventh inning that saw the Trojans pull away, with the visitors using an RBI single, two-run double, and two-run long ball to score five times and leap out to a 12-6 lead. A three-run dinger in the ninth put a cap on the day, with Little Rock picking up the 15-6 win.
Ford led the Golden Eagles with three RBI on two hits. Second baseman Troy Baunsgard, designated hitter Mack Whitcomb, and Bryant each chipped in two hits as well.
Due to anticipated inclement weather in Cookeville on Friday and Saturday, this weekend's baseball series against the Trojans will feature a doubleheader Friday morning starting at 10:00 a.m. CT. Game two will follow immediately.
If weather permits for both games to be played on Friday, Tech's Senior Day ceremony will be held following the second contest. If it becomes necessary to play the third game of the series on Saturday, Senior Day will take place prior to that contest.
With inclement weather in the forecast all weekend, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any other potential updates/changes to this weekend's schedule.
Photo by Jim Dillon
