Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Tennessee Tech
Baseball Claims Final Game of Series at Tennessee Tech, 6-5
2/28/2016 4:43:00 PM | Baseball
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Dan Keller and Max Kra did not allow a run over the first six innings and a three-run home run by Jon Mayer in the top of the seventh staked the Bucknell baseball team to a 6-0 lead over Tennessee Tech and the Bison ended up holding off the Golden Eagles for a 6-5 victory in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series Sunday. The win pushed Bucknell's season record to 4-3.
Mayer's home run was his first of the year and the fifth of his career. Danny Rafferty had a team-high three hits for the Bison, who totaled 11 hits in the contest against five Tennessee Tech pitchers. Joe Ogren was 2-for-4 and Sam Clark was 2-for-5 as three Bucknell hitters posted multi-hit outings. The two through five hitters in the lineup (Rafferty, Ogren, Mayer, Clark) were a combined 8-for-18 with six runs scored and four RBIs.
Keller started and pitched into the fifth inning and needed to work out of some jams, but did not allow a run. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases in the first and came away empty after a strikeout by Keller. The leadoff hitter in the second reached on an error, but Keller responded to retire the next three batters in order. Keller induced a double play to end the third inning after two runners were aboard, and he also yielded a pair of hits in the fourth inning.
The first three Tennessee Tech hitters reached in the fifth and Bucknell head coach Scott Heather turned to Kra, who got out of the situation thanks to a double play on a liner to first baseman Spencer Stokes.
Bucknell built its lead with two runs in the fourth on an RBI ground out by Mark Powell and an RBI single by Luke Johnson. The Bison added another run in the fifth on a one-out RBI single by Ogren following a Rafferty double.
Mayer then made it 6-0 with a one-out, three-run shot that knocked Tennessee Tech (4-3) reliever Ethan Roberts from the game.
The Golden Eagles cut into their deficit with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-run home run by Chris Brown off Kra.
Christian Tailor (1-0) got the final out in the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth to earn the win for the Bison.
Bucknell entered the bottom of the ninth with a 6-3 cushion, but Ryan Flick hit a two-out, two-run home run off Rafferty. Rafferty then struck out Matt Jones to end the game and earn his third save of the year. He now has 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work this season.
Seven of the game's 11 runs were scored on home runs and the teams combined for eight extra-base hits.
The Bison will be back on the road next weekend when they travel to North Carolina for the USA Baseball Irish Classic. Bucknell will take on Brown (Friday), Notre Dame (Saturday) and North Carolina State (Sunday).
