Tennessee Tech smacked four home runs and surrendered just six hits to the Morehead State baseball team Friday (March 14) as the Golden Eagles collected a 15-0 win at MSU’s Sonny Allen Field.
Tech improved to 16-3 overall and 3-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference. MSU, which had won two straight heading into the series opener, fell to 7-9 overall and 1-3 in the league. Morehead State pitchers had only allowed three home runs in the first 15 games.
TTU starting pitcher David Hess, a junior right-hander, gave up just five hits, walked none, and struck out six in seven innings to move to 4-0. TTU junior shortstop Dylan Bosheers cracked a pair of home runs and had a team-best five RBI. Senior right fielder Brandon Thomasson hit his sixth homer of the year, and sophomore center fielder Jake Rowland added a solo shot.
The Golden Eagles managed 14 hits off three MSU pitchers. Starter Luke Humphreys (0-1), a freshman righty, absorbed the loss. He allowed seven runs on eight hits in five innings.
"We didn't have enough quality at-bats against Hess,” said MSU Head Coach Mike McGuire.
“The thing that was probably most impressive was that he had no walks. They had a good day offensively, but I told our team that we gave them too many free bases. You can't afford to do that against good clubs," added McGuire.
Morehead State junior first baseman Kane Sweeney had a pair of hits, including a double. Junior right fielder Brandon Rawe notched an infield single to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Junior catcher Chris Robinson saw his 12-game hitting streak halted.
"I thought we had some good at-bats, and we hit it hard at times, but we just hit too many balls right at them. We also had a lot of weak fly balls because we didn't get on top of it," commented McGuire.
Tech had four players with multiple hits, led by three each from Thomasson and senior third baseman Daniel Miles. Senior second baseman Zach Zarzour and Bosheers recorded two hits apiece. The visitors scored once in the first and second innings, added two in the third, and broke the game open with five runs in the sixth inning. TTU also touched the plate three times in the fifth and ninth frames.
MSU sophomore pitcher Matt Ellenbest struck out a career-best four in a career-high four-inning assignment.
Due to the threat of inclement weather Sunday, the teams will play a doubleheader with two nine-inning games on Saturday (March 15) at 1 p.m
