BOX SCORE
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Contrary to the series opener, there was no shortage of runs Saturday, as the Morehead State baseball team defeated Tennessee Tech 9-7. With the win, Morehead State (12-14, 4-1 OVC) won its fifth straight game, have already taken two of three from TTU, and will look for the sweep in tomorrow's finale.
The Eagles wasted no time getting on the board Saturday, as
Ryley Preece blasted the third pitch of the game over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. Two more runs crossed in the inning, as
Logan Castleman scored on an RBI double by
Nick Gooden, who also scored on a throwing error following a
Chase Vinson single, giving Morehead State a 3-0 lead after the first.
After
Alex Kafka worked a scoreless bottom of the first,
Isaias Guzman led off the top of the second with a single and advanced to second on
Bryson Stripling's sacrifice bunt. Preece then came to the plate and launched his second home run of the game out of the yard to give Morehead State a five-run advantage.
Jackson Feltner then singled and advanced to third on a double from Castleman before scoring on a groundout from
Alex Jacobs.
Tennessee Tech didn't stay down, however, as they pushed an unearned run across on an error. Kafka retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning with a five-run lead.
TTU cut further into the lead in the third with a three-spot in the bottom half. Jason Hinchman hit a two-run homer to left field, and another run scored in the inning on a single from Hayden Gilliand. The Golden Eagles tied the game at six in the fourth with two more runs, but
Joe Rotkis kept the game tied after that.
Morehead State's bats came alive again in the fifth to retake the lead. Jacobs drew a walk to open the inning and then stole second base, his second straight game with a stolen base and 24
th straight game reaching base safely.
Chase Vinson got Jacobs to third on a sacrifice fly before
Colton Becker came through for the Eagles again with an RBI double down the left field line to put MSU back on top 7-6.
Andrew Crumbley came on in the bottom of the fifth and got Gilliand to pop out to second base before handing the ball to
Matt Bettio (W, 2-1), who finished the inning.
The first two batters of the sixth inning struck out, but Feltner wouldn't be denied as he smacked his sixth homer of the season over the left field wall to give Morehead State an 8-6 lead. Bettio walked the leadoff batter to start the bottom half, but was able to get two outs and an 0-2 count on Hinchman before handing the ball off to
Jarrett Miller, who got Hinchman to pop out to
Nick Gooden at second to end the inning. TTU was able to push a run across against Miller in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to one, but the ironman stranded two runners in scoring position to end the inning on a groundout.
In the eighth, Preece (4-5, 3 HR, 4 RBI, SB) decided he wasn't done playing long-ball, taking Brock Myers deep for his third homer of the day and team-leading ninth of the season. Those three homers are a single-game best for any Eagle in 2022, and gave Morehead State a 9-7 lead they held the rest of the way.
John Bakke came on in the eighth and worked a scoreless frame. Castleman smacked a single into right field for his fourth hit of the day, before Jacobs extended his hit streak to 16 in his last chance to do so, but both men were left stranded in a scoreless top of the ninth.
Bakke returned to the mound in the bottom half and gave up a leadoff single to Ryan Guardino, but got Dyer to fly out before Zach Bondurant grounded into a double play to end the game. Bakke has finished both games in the series thus far, and is up to six saves on the season.
Morehead State moved to 12-14 on the season and 4-1 in OVC play with the victory, and now holds a 2022 best five-game win streak. The Eagles will look for the sweep tomorrow in the series finale, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Live streaming will be available on ESPN+, with live stats available as well.
