By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The bats were out in full force for the Tennessee Tech baseball team on Saturday, leading the Golden Eagles to a 14-9 victory over Ohio Valley Conference rival Little Rock at Gary Hogan Field in a contest not as close as the final score indicated.
Tech (17-7, 2-0) locked down the series victory by piling up a season-high 18 hits on the day while the pitching staff held the Trojans (9-14, 0-2) to just three runs through the first eight innings. Opening the contest with a sense of urgency, the purple and gold plated eight runs over the first three frames to set the tone.
After left fielder Landon Smelser led off the game with a base knock to left-center and shortstop Owen Lee drew a four-pitch walk, Little Rock picked up a pair of quick outs. Third baseman Preston Steele kept the inning alive by reaching on a throwing error by his Trojan counterpart, subsequently allowing the first run to score on the play for the purple and gold.
The run was big, but the error extending the inning proved to be even more important with center fielder Nicho Jordan coming to the plate. The senior delivered, drilling a line drive to center field that the Trojan's defense attempted to make a diving catch on.
The Little Rock center fielder missed the attempt at the highlight-reel play and Jordan was off to the races, using his blazing speed to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run and three RBI. It marked his third round-tripper of the year and the first of inside-the-park variety of his career.
Back on the attack in the second inning, second baseman Jackson Rooker sparked another run of scoring with a lead-off double to left-center field. Later in the frame, with runners on first and second, Lee ripped an RBI single to right field to make it a 5-0 lead. On the same play, Smelser scored the team's sixth marker of the day thanks to an errant throw by the Trojan first baseman.
Little Rock looked to answer in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with a single, an error, and a walk, but Tech hurler Lucas Vega never wavered. The right-hander induced a pop-up to shortstop for an infield fly for the first out before forcing a ground ball that the Golden Eagle defense turned into a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play.
In the third, the Cookeville crew continued to apply the pressure with Steele drawing a lead-off walk and advancing on a wild pitch before Jordan singled to left field and stole second. With the Tech runners in scoring position, first baseman Carter Vrabel brought the first one home with a sacrifice fly to right field. Right fielder Jackson Green plated the other for the inning, reaching first safely on an RBI fielder's choice.
The Golden Eagles made it an even 10-0 lead in the fifth with continued aggressive work at the dish, with a familiar tandem at the forefront again. Steele and Jordan led off the frame with back-to-back base knocks to the outfield, finally prompting a pitching change for the Trojans.
Vrabel greeted the new Little Rock arm by ripping an RBI base knock up the middle. Green followed two batters later with a run-scoring single of his own to left field, moving the advantage to double figures.
The Trojans finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of Golden Eagle and a passed ball to score two unearned runs. Vega worked through the remainder of the frame unscathed, eventually earning his fourth win of the year.
The Tech bats answered back for their starter in the sixth, starting with a one-out base hit up the middle by designated hitter Jorsixt Jimenez. Two batters later, Jordan kept his career day rolling by absolutely destroying a 2-2 offering over the wall in right field for his second four-bagger of the day and fourth of the season.
In the eighth, Little Rock managed one run on a base hit to right field before the Tech offense got one last lick in. Loading the bases with two outs, the Golden Eagles picked up two more runs thanks to a run-producing single to left field off the bat of Smelser.
Little Rock certainly made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, scoring six times on five hits while sending 13 batters to the plate. The Trojans picked up a grand slam in the frame, but in the end, it was far too little too late as Tech's Jack Brafa came on to record the final two outs.
Jordan led the way for the Cookeville crew with a 4-for-4 showing at the dish, driving in five, scoring five, and drawing a walk for good measure. Smelser, Lee, Vrabel, Rooker, and Green tallied two hits apiece while every Golden Eagle position player to see the diamond on the day recorded at least one knock.
Looking to complete the series sweep and start league play undefeated, the purple and gold will square off with the Trojans in the finale on Sunday morning with a 12:00 p.m. CT first pitch. The contest was bumped up one hour from an original 1:00 p.m. start.
File photo by Betty Myers
