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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois held the lead twice on Thursday night before Tennessee Tech rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to post a 9-7 win over the Panthers. The two teams will resume the series on Friday night at 6 p.m.
EIU fell to 0-22, 0-10 in the OVC. TTU improved to 11-17, 5-8 in the OVC.
The Panthers jumped on top 4-0 in the second inning as the bottom of the order delivered.
Marshawn Taylor and
Adam Casson both drove home runs. Catcher
John Devito then moved both players into scoring position with a bunt.
Joseph Duncan drove home Taylor and Casson scored on a wild pitch to stake EIU starter
Garrison Stenger to the four run lead.
Tennessee Tech answered in their half of the second with four runs as Stenger struggled with control. Two Golden Eagles reached base on a hit-by-pitch and walk. Following a single to center Josh Pankratz and Tyler Brazelton connected for back-to-back two-run doubles.
EIU regained the lead in the fourth as they loaded the bases against TTU starter Chris Chism.
Cale Hennemann and
Caleb Howell delivered sacrifice flys for the two runs. Chism (5-1) worked seven innings for the win.
TTU tied the game in the fifth scoring one run on a sacrifice fly and another on a wild pitch. TTU took the lead in the bottom of the sixth against EIU reliever
Christian Slazinik (0-4). Jordan Hopkins had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double.
EIU scored one run in the seventh on a
Jason Scholl RBI single. Cain Sloan closed out the final two innings for TTU to pick up his first save.
Duncan was 3-for-5 for EIU and is hitting .545 as the Panthers lead-off hitter in the last five games. Howell and Scholl both added two hits for EIU.
Brazelton and Ryan Flick led the way for TTU with two hits each.
