MOREHEAD, Ky. — Sophomore catcher Jimmy Wright clubbed a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning to help propel the Morehead State baseball team to a 6-5 victory in game two of an Ohio Valley Conference series at Tennessee Tech Sunday.
Morehead State, which scored all six of its runs with two outs, moved to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the league. Tech slipped to 5-7 overall and 2-0 in the conference. The Eagles won game one of the conference set, 7-5, Saturday to claim a series over Tech for the first time since 2011.
“I have to credit our guys again today,” Head Coach Mike McGuire said. “I thought we made some mental miscues early that we normally don’t do, but once again, we didn’t panic when we fell behind. Two-outs hits are a backbreaker for the other team when they think they are going to get out of it, and we got two-out hits up and down the lineup.”
Wright, who missed the last three games with an injury, went 2-for-2, and he was one of five Eagle batters to record two hits. Morehead State trailed 4-3 entering the eighth. Senior first baseman Kane Sweeney and senior right fielder Brandon Rawe singled to lead off the go-ahead frame, and following a double play and a walk to senior left fielder Nick Newell, Wright blasted his first round-tripper over the right-field fence.
Rawe, Newell, senior shortstop Robby Spencer and sophomore center fielder Ryan Kent had two hits apiece. Kent and Rawe had a double each. Spencer and Sweeney have reached base in all 11 games, while Sweeney extended his hitting streak to six contests. MSU’s first seven batters in the lineup combined for all 12 hits.
Senior right-hander Blake Smith, the second of six MSU hurlers to see action, picked up the win to move to 2-0. Junior Craig Pearcy only threw one pitch and recorded his second save in as many days and his league-best fifth of the year. Sophomore starter Luke Humphreys scattered eight hits and gave up three runs in the first six innings.
Jeb Scoggins, the last of three TTU pitchers, was pinned with the loss to fall to 0-1.
Tech’s centerfielder, David Allen, and right fielder Anthony El Chibani each went 3-for-4 at the plate.
The series finale is set for Monday at Noon ET. Michael Gustin will have the play-by-play call on MSUEagles.com and the Eagle Empire app.
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