Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
10-17
Tennessee Tech
17-12
Late rally not enough for Blue Raiders against Golden Eagles
4/3/2024 9:18:00 PM | Baseball
Tennessee Tech scored nine unanswered runs before MTSU plated two runs in the ninth
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee baseball's early lead on Wednesday night evaporated, with a ninth-inning rally not quite enough to prevent a 11-9 loss to Tennessee Tech at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The Blue Raiders (10-17, 2-4 CUSA) were the aggressor early, scoring runs in both the first and second innings, taking advantage of a Tennessee Tech error to score Eston Snider on a Fielder's Choice in the first frame, while Trace Phillips came around to score on a sacrifice fly to center in the second inning after the two-way player led off with double in the second frame. The Golden Eagles (17-12, 4-2 OVC) quickly matched, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to tie the game.
MTSU exploded in the top of the third, scoring four runs in the inning, two off the bat of Philips, who's opposite-field home run capped off the frame by plating himself and Jackson Galloway, who had an RBI-double earlier in the third. After the Blue Raiders tacked on their seventh run of the night (and their sixth unearned run of the evening) in the top of the fourth, the Golden Eagles kept a good eye at the plate, scoring a pair of runs on based-loaded walks before singling in two more runs to cut the MTSU lead to just 7-6 after four complete.
The Golden Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the sixth when a Blue Raider wild pitch helped turn a trio of singles into two runs for the home team. Tennessee Tech put up another crooked number in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of a pair of walks early in the frame to score off a single and an MTSU error, plating three runs to stretch the lead to 11-7. Briggs Rutter's two-run home run in the ninth put MTSU within striking distance, 11-9, and the Blue Raiders would load the bases with two outs. But Tennessee Tech struck out the final batter of the game to pick up the win on Wednesday.
Brothers Cale Vinson and Luke Vinson both finished the evening with three hits apiece, while Eston Snider scored three runs out of the leadoff spot. Briggs Rutter and Trace Phillips both led the way in RBIs with two each, both sets of RBIs coming off two-run homers.
By the Numbers
21: Games hit safely for Briggs Rutter, who extend his hit streak in dramatic fashion in the top of the ninth, blasting a two-run bomb over the left-center field fence to pull MTSU with two runs late.
6: Unearned runs scored by the Blue Raiders on Wednesday, as MTSU took advantage of four Golden Eagle errors to score a plethora of runs.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders hit the road in Conference USA to play to take on Louisiana Tech in a three-game series. First pitch in Ruston, La. for Game 1 on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ERDMAN, Jack (2-2)
L: Beranek, Bryant (1-5)
Batting:
2B: Vinson, Luke 2 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1
HR: Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1
RBI: Vinson, Luke 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 2 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Phillips, Trace 2 ; Vetetoe, Jared 1
SF: Vetetoe, Jared 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Snider, Eston 3 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 2 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Phillips, Trace 2
SB: Snider, Eston 1
CS: Symlar, Bryce 1
HBP: Snider, Eston 1
Batting:
2B: BAUNSGARD, Troy 1 ; FORD, Preston 1 ; BRYANT IV, Theo 1
RBI: TURNER, Austin 1 ; BAUNSGARD, Troy 3 ; GILLILAND, Hayden 2 ; SHIVER, Tanner 1 ; FORD, Preston 2
Base Running:
RUNS: TURNER, Austin 2 ; GILLILAND, Hayden 1 ; JORDAN, Nicho 1 ; SHIVER, Tanner 1 ; FORD, Preston 2 ; BRYANT IV, Theo 1 ; GARZA, Eddie 2 ; GREEN, Jackson 1
SB: TURNER, Austin 1 ; FORD, Preston 1
