KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Morehead State baseball team competed with Tennessee in Saturday's doubleheader, but were unsuccessful in both attempts to upset the Tennessee Volunteers, falling twice and getting swept for the first time this season. The Eagles found some momentum in the finale, but couldn't overcome three Tennessee home runs in the loss.
GAME 1 | No. 2 Tennessee 6, Morehead State 0
Morehead State struggled to find their stride in the first game Saturday, as the Eagles were shutout by Chase Burns and company in the 6-0 loss.
Junior Grant Herron (2-1) got the ball to start for Morehead State (9-6) and took the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 2-0 in the third, Morehead State notched its first baserunner after Logan Castleman drew a two out walk. Ryley Preece nearly drove him in right after, ambushing the first pitch he saw from Burns and smacking a double down the right field line. MSU couldn't get the runners home however, as a strikeout ended the inning. Morehead State finished 0-3 with runners in scoring position.
GAME 2 | No. 2 Tennessee 6, Morehead State 3
Morehead State put pressure on the Volunteers in the series finale, cutting its deficit to one on multiple occasions but couldn't take the lead in the 6-3 loss that secured the sweep for Tennessee.
John Bakke (1-1) got the ball to start for Morehead State (9-7) and took the loss.
Chase Vinson finished off a solid weekend with a towering solo homer, while Colton Becker and Nick Gooden both drove in a run in the sixth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Eagles were trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning when they first put runs on the board. Vinson put Morehead State on the board with a leadoff home run off sophomore Drew Beam.
The Eagles deficit expanded to 4-1 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the sixth inning. Morehead State plated two runs off of Tennessee pitching, punctuated by a run-scoring double off the bat of Becker that scored Jackson Feltner, which tightened the Volunteers lead to 4-3. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as Tennessee added two runs to their tally on the way to a 6-3 final.
GAME NOTES
» Morehead State pitchers limited Tennessee to just 1-for-8 (.125) with runners in scoring position.
» Morehead State pitchers struck out eight Volunteers in the loss.
» Each time Morehead State cut the deficit to one run, Tennessee responded with a two run home run.
Morehead State is back in action at home on Tuesday vs. archrival Eastern Kentucky before hitting the road again for three games at Indiana.
