TUESDAY'S SCORES
Tennessee Tech 10, @Alabama A&M 0
@Little Rock 10, Memphis 4
@#24 Kentucky 9,
Morehead State 5
Southern Illinois 14,
@UT Martin 11
TENNESSEE TECH 10, ALABAMA A&M 0
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - More dominance on the hill and an explosive second inning kept the Tennessee Tech baseball team to its winning ways Tuesday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles made it three straight victories with a 10-0 triumph in seven innings over Alabama A&M in the team's first road tilt of the year.
Competing at Bulldog Field, the Golden Eagles (3-1) rode the wave of their four hurlers into a combined shutout over the Bulldogs (1-3). The Tech pitching staff held AAMU to just one hit in a contest limited to seven frames due to a pre-determined run rule.
Rookie southpaw Eli Huddleston made his collegiate debut as Tech's starter in the affair, setting the tone early with a 1-2-3 first inning. After his offense provided him a massive lead with a seven-run second, the freshman dialed in and completed 3.0 total innings while allowing just one hit.
The local Upperman High School star picked up his first career strikeout in the contest and earned the first win of his career as well after coming out of the game due to a pre-determined pitch count.
Fellow freshman Juan Vargas also made his first career appearance, covering the fourth and fifth frames of the ball game without allowing a base runner. The right-hander fanned a pair over his 2.0 innings of work. Sophomore Brody Lanham and senior Nick Vaccaro took care of the sixth and seventh innings while holding the Bulldogs without a base runner as well.
Supplying all the room their pitching staff would need with a monster second inning were the Tech bats. Freshman designated hitter Matt Whitcomb kicked things off with a four-pitch walk while shortstop Preston Steele followed by earning a seven-pitch free pass.
Alabama A&M managed to induce a pair of flyouts before the Golden Eagles ignited a two-out rally that would all but put the game out of reach. On the first pitch he saw of the frame, left fielder Austin Turner ripped a triple to right field to plate the first two runs of the contest.
An error at third base led to another run scoring off the bat of right fielder Theo Bryant IV, but things were just getting started. Catcher Hayden Gilliland singled up the middle to make it a 4-0 Tech lead and center field Nicho Jordan kept the train running with an RBI triple to right-center field.
Following a walk to second baseman Troy Baunsgard, Whitcomb took his second trip to the dish in the inning, stepped into the box, and pounded a single through the right side for another Golden Eagle RBI. Steele took a walk to load the bags for the purple and gold before a wild pitch plated Baunsgard for a 7-0 advantage for the visitors.
The Cookeville crew added to the lead in the third, hits time with a pair of extra-base hits. Again delivering a two-out rally, Gilliland crushed a double down the right-field line for his second RBI of the game. Jordan followed with his own RBI double to right field to provide a nine-run cushion.
In the fifth, Tech delivered the final run needed to clinch the early win. After an infield base knock by Bryant and a single through the right side off the bat of Gilliland, Bryant scored on a wild pitch for the 10-0 lead.
On the night, Gilliland led the offensive front behind a 4-for-4 performance, two RBI, and two runs scored. Jordan followed with a three-hit showing and two RBI while Turner turned in a 2-for-3 effort with a pair of ribbies.
LITTLE ROCK 10, MEMPHIS 4
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Little Rock baseball team posts 10 runs in victory over Memphis. The Trojans scored double digits against Memphis for the first time since 1992 in the first win in Little Rock in almost 20 years. Little Rock ended the game notching 10 runs, 16 hits, and 2 errors.
The Trojans wasted no time getting on the board posting a 3 run inning to open the game. It all began as Alex Seguine hit a lead off single to right field, followed by a single to left field by Tyler Williams. Nico Baumbach was then hit by a pitch which loaded the bases. Skyler Trevino then stepped to the plate and singled to center advancing all runners giving Trevino his first RBI and the Trojans on the board. To round out the Trojans 1st inning rally, Ty Rhoades hit a 2 RBI single up the middle bringing Tyler Williams and Nico Baumbach across the plate.
The Tigers would respond in the top of the second bringing two across the plate after a costly error in the infield. The Trojans escaped the inning conceding 2 runs, 1 hit, and committing 1 error.
It would be locked at 3-2 in favor of the Trojans until the bottom of the fourth which saw Noah Brewer sending a double to left center. The big hit by Brewer was followed by a walk from Jaxson Anderson setting up Jake Wright for an RBI double to left field for Brewer to score. Anderson was brought home by single up the middle from Alex Seguine. The Trojans would end the inning with 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 left on.
The Trojans would again cross home plate after Skyler Trevino doubled to center field and brought Nico Baumbach home after he led off with a double down the left field line. The Tigers would respond with a 2 run inning after another Trojan error in right field put them in scoring position.
It was another 3 run inning for the Trojans in the seventh as Nico Baumbach and Skyler Trevino score off a double by Noah Brewer. Brewer would then be brought home by a double from Jaxson Anderson. In the Trojans' final inning at bat, Skyler Trevino crossed the plate for the second time after a single from Ty Rhoades.
Jack Cline started the game pitching the first 4.2 innings. Pitcher of record, Thomas Kuykendall, entered the game and recorded his first win of the year after throwing 7 strikeouts against 18 batters and conceding 1 earned run.
#24 KENTUCKY 9, MOREHEAD STATE 5
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Morehead State Eagles took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning, but could not hang on and fell 9-5 to the Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday.
Matt Bettio (0-1) came out of the bullpen for Morehead State (2-2) and took the loss. Joe Rotkis was a bright spot for the Eagles, starting the ballgame and throwing five innings, giving up one run on three hits, with four walks and one strikeout.
Senior Ryley Preece led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 2-for-5 in the ballgame with a double and an RBI. Freshman Hayden Robbins furnished a standout performance as well, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Morehead State ran into trouble in the first inning, as Kentucky loaded the bases with nobody out. Under pressure, Joe Rotkis made a phenomenal play on a ground ball back to him, turning a 1-2-3 double play before forcing a groundout to end the inning.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first, starting in the fourth inning. Morehead State managed to push across two runs in the inning.
The Wildcats failed to push any runs across before the Eagles offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. Preece came across to score the lone run of the inning for Morehead State, which brought the score to 3-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Kentucky narrowed Morehead State's lead to 3-1 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 5-1 in the sixth inning. The Eagles scored twice, with one run coming across on Preece's single. The Eagles were unable to hold the lead, as Kentucky scored eight times over the remaining three innings to grab the 9-5 win.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 14, UT MARTIN 11
MARTIN, Tenn. - In a back and forth offensive battle, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team came up just shy of victory to Southern Illinois, 14-11. The Skyhawks outhit the Salukis 15-14 and blasted three home runs on the evening.
Andrew Fernandez, Blaze Bell and Hunter McLean all went yard for UT Martin while Fernandez recorded his third straight multi-hit game (2-4). Skyhawk newcomer Jalen Fithian notched three base knocks with two RBI's and Mac Danford (double), Jackson Cooke (double) and McLean (triple) snagged extra base hits.
UT Martin sent seven hurlers to the mound with Davis Gaston, Dylan Lapic, Baylor Jones, Tucker Reed, Campbell Cleveland, Choyce Diffey and Eli Martin. Lapic (one inning pitched), Jones (two innings pitched), Diffey (1.2 IP) and Martin (one inning pitched) threw scoreless frames for a Skyhawk team that fanned eight total batters.
UT Martin went down 3-0 early but stormed back in the home half of the second for six runs, four of which came off the bats of Fernandez (second home run of the season) and McLean (first). Jalen Fithian punched one through the left side to bring in Cole Smith and begin his busy day at the plate.
Following a three run Saluki third inning, Jones was called on from the pen and threw up two scoreless innings with one punchout and only allowed one hit. Once again, the longball would come into play for the orange and blue when Blaze Bell drilled a 1-0 count to right which was shortly followed by yet another Fithian single to score Smith.
Southern Illinois would respond well with eight runs over the next two innings and seal up their fourth straight win.