A pair of three-run home runs from Ryan Perkins, three home runs overall and 12 hits as a team were not enough Saturday for Murray State as the Racers fell in the series finale at Tennessee Tech, 14-10 in Cookeville.
MSU (16-19, 6-9 OVC) jumped out to an early lead Saturday, its first of the series, behind the strength of a four-run second. Ryan Perkins’ first three-run shot of the day opened up the scoring while later in the inning, Jaron Robinson scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
The Golden Eagles (29-9, 16-2 OVC) would get right back into the game with a three-run homer of their own to cut into the Racers’ lead. However, Perkins’ second three-run shot in as many innings, lengthened the MSU lead back up to 7-3.
The Racers’ third homer of the day, this one a two-run shot from Brandon Gutzler in the fourth, pushed the Racer lead up to 9-3. Eventually, TTU would claw its way back into the game. First, with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the fourth, then, a two-run fifth cut the Racer lead down to 9-7 before the Golden Eagles exploded in the sixth with a six-run inning and took a 13-9 lead.
TTU would get another run in the eighth to make it 14-9 before Davis Sims’ RBI single down the left field line made it the 14-10 final.
Perkins’ two long balls were his lone two hits of the day as he went 2-for-5. Jack Hranec was the other Racer to have a multi-hit day at the plate as he with 3-for-5 with a run scored. Jaron Robinson was 1-of-2 with a pair of walks and a run in the loss.
Chance Carner got his first career start in the game and got the no decision. Carner pitched four innings and allowed five runs on nine hits while recording four strikeouts. Alec Whaley took the loss as he pitched 0.2 innings and allowed four runs. Chad Gendron and John Lollar also made relief appearances and gave up runs in the loss.
MSU now returns home for a four-game week, all at Reagan Field. The Racers begin the homestand Tuesday as Western Kentucky comes to town for a 6 p.m., game. WKU defeated the Racers 10-9 in Bowling Green earlier this month.
by Kevin DeVries