BOX SCORE | ARCHIVED AUDIO

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Some missed opportunities on offense and an early deficit ultimately spelled a 10-5 defeat for the Morehead State baseball team against No. 18 Tennessee Tech Friday morning in the OVC Tournament.

The Eagles fell to 34-24 overall and will await the result of the Jacksonville State-Southeast Missouri game to determine their next game. Tech moved into the championship game Saturday. If JSU wins today the Eagles will play either them or Eastern Kentucky Saturday at 1 p.m. If SEMO wins today, MSU will have to play EKU tonight at 8 p.m.

"We had two guys (Garret Rogers and Jake Ziegelmeyer) who normally are good for us but just didn't have their best command today and that put us in a hole," said head coach Mike McGuire. "I think the game could have been closer than it was but we missed some opportunities in the middle innings."

Lefty reliever David Looney held the Golden Eagles in check for the final 5.1 innings, only allowing a run on a wild pitch and just three hits. But Tech led 9-2 after the third inning.

"With us falling into the lower bracket, I thought it was important for David to give us a good relief appearance, and he did. He pitched very well and gave our offense chances."

Rogers, who allowed three runs in the first inning, was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-2.

Trailing 3-0, junior right-fielder Jake Hammon got MSU on the board with an RBI single in the first frame. A double play later in the inning brought home the second tally.

Senior second baseman Braxton Morris lifted the school-record 43rd sacrifice fly of the season in the fifth to score Fain to make it 9-3. Morris added another RBI in the ninth on a ground out, and junior DH Niko Hulsizer singled home pinch hitter/runner Bryce Hensor with the final run in the ninth too.

MSU had seven hits, including three from senior third baseman Eli Boggess.