By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A pitcher's duel at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex went in favor of the visiting team Friday evening, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team fell to SIUE in the teams' Ohio Valley Conference series opener, 5-1.
The Cougars (11-13, 4-0) claimed the title of the last unbeaten team in the league with the win over the Golden Eagles (18-9, 3-1), gathering 10 hits while holding the purple and gold to just three on the night.
Tech's Jaxson Pease twirled 5.0 innings for his squad, holding the visitors off the scoreboard over the opening three frames. The junior hurler gave up just a single run in the fourth, ending his night with three strikeouts while scattering five hits and two walks.
On the other side of the mound, SIUE's Tim Teixeira enjoyed the more productive evening on the hill, covering 6.0 innings while limiting the Tech offense to two hits and one run. The freshman struck out eight batters while walking just one.
In the fourth, the Cougars were the first to strike blood, leading the frame off with a ground-rule double to center field. Pease picked up a pair of outs before SIUE found a hole in the infield, sneaking a slow chopper up the middle to plate the first run of the game.
The Golden Eagles answered back in the fifth, with Nicho Jordan taking an unorthodox path to the plate. The left fielder led off the inning with an eight-pitch walk before stealing second for his sixth swipe of the year. The senior moved over to third on a ground out and then scored later in the frame on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
The Tech bullpen took over in the sixth, with rookie Logan Moller needing just three pitches to set down the first batter he faced via the punch-out. The Cougars rallied in the inning with two outs and a runner on first, picking up a run-scoring double to left-center field.
SIUE kept the pressure up in the seventh with a lead-off home run to center field, moving in front 3-1. The visitors doubled their lead in the eighth, using another solo round-tripper, a base hit, and a wild pitch to turn it into a 5-1 advantage.
Designated hitter Ryan Lee led the Tech squad with two of the team's three hits, including a ground-rule double in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. He also drew a walk on the night to finish 2-for-3.
Reliever Lawson Stricklin covered 1.2 innings out of the bullpen for the Golden Eagles without allowing a hit or SIUE run. The right-hander fanned two of the five SIUE batters he faced, walking one.
Game two of the OVC series between the two league rivals is slated for a first pitch of 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon. With inclement weather, including rain and potential storms, expected in the Cookeville area during the weekend, fans are encouraged to check TTUSports.com and Tennessee Tech social media for any potential updates to this weekend's schedule.
Photo by Jim Dillon
