By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In a midweek battle of in-state rivals, it was visiting Lipscomb that came out on top at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex on Wednesday evening, defeating the Tennessee Tech baseball team 11-2.

The Bisons (13-18) were a constant threat at the plate throughout the game, racking up 15 hits and scoring across five separate innings. The Lipscomb pitching staff held the Golden Eagles (21-13) at bay for much of the night, limiting the home squad to just seven base knocks.

Lipscomb opened the scoring in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs to force a pitching change by the Cookeville crew. Tech's Logan Moller was efficient out of the bullpen, inducing ground outs on his first two offerings that also plated the first two runs of the game. He gathered a fly out to finish the inning and limit the damage.

In the bottom half, the Golden Eagles cut the deficit in half, courtesy of shortstop Owen Lee. The redshirt freshman hammered a solo blast to right-center field with two outs, rounding the bases for the sixth time this season to make it a 2-1 ball game.

The visitors from Nashville took over from there, scoring once in the fourth on an infield single and three times in the fifth with a two-run home run and another infield single. Up 6-2, the Bisons didn't let up, scoring three more times in the eighth with their second two-run shot of the contest and an RBI single.

In the ninth, Lipscomb tacked on two unearned runs to move in front by double digits at 11-1.

The Golden Eagles scored once in the bottom of the ninth to finish the night at 11-2, with second baseman Eddie Garza leading off the frame with a single to right field. With two outs in the inning, rookie Landon Smelser slapped a base knock to center field, driving in Garza.

Owen Lee led Tech with a 2-for-3 night at the plate, while Moller was the lead man on the mound, accounting for 2.0 scoreless frames with just one walk allowed.

Moving on to the weekend, the Golden Eagles will play host to Ohio Valley Conference foe Southern Indiana in a three-game set at the Quill. The series will open Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. CT, while game two is slated for a 2:00 p.m. start on Saturday. Sunday's finale is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.

Photo by Jim Dillon