Perconte Pitches 'Breds to 3-1 Victory

Sunday, May 4

Cookeville, Tenn.

1:00 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee Tech

5/4/2008 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

Murray State senior right hander Mike Perconte struck out a career-best 12 hitters and held the league's top offense to just one run on five hits as the Thoroughbreds took the third game of the series with a 3-1 victory over Tennessee Tech Sunday afternoon at Howell Bush Stadium.

Perconte (3-4) was a work horse on the hill as he seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He tossed 94 strikes on a career-high 148 pitches. He walked only one in the complete game.

The 'Breds (17-26, 8-12 OVC) got on the board in the first inning as Kyle Tiernan drew a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Zach Noonan. Wes Cunningham drove in the run with a single up the middle and took second on the throw home. Tyler Owen put runners on the corners with one out and Matt Hon plated Cunningham with a groundout to second.

The Golden Eagles (31-16-1, 11-10 OVC) got a run on the board in the third inning as a wild pitch advanced two runners into scoring position and Jake New drove in one run with a groundout to second.

MSU added to its lead in the sixth as Owen started the inning by ringing a double just inside the left-field line. Hon advanced the runner to third with a groundout and Taylor Thieke drove him in with a grounder to short that was thrown away at first.

Thomas Gray (5-3) took the loss after giving up three runs on six hits over 5.2 innings.

The 'Breds will take time off for final exams before returning to the diamond on May 10 for a doubleheader against UT Martin at 1 p.m. at Reagan Field.