CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - For the second straight game, the bats were awake and dealing for the Tennessee Tech baseball team. The Golden Eagles won its ninth straight series of the season Sunday afternoon, defeating Austin Peay 12-4 and grabbing sole possession of second place in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Golden Eagle bats used an overall team effort on the day, outhitting one of the OVC's most potent offenses for the second consecutive day. Tech lit up the Governors' pitching staff, collecting 15 hits and 12 runs.
Three Tech players smacked home runs in the contest. Junior Daniel Miles clubbed his fourth long ball in two games, going back-to-back with designated hitter Brandon Thomasson in the second inning. Junior slugger Zach Stephens hammered a two-run shot in the fifth inning. It marked both Thomasson's and Stephens' eighth moon shots of the season, tying both players for the league lead. Miles recorded his seventh four-bagger of the year, ranking him second in the OVC.
Craig Massoni led the Austin Peay offense for the second game in a row, collecting three hits and driving in three runs. Ryan Quick was dealt his second loss of the season, giving up five earned runs in 2.1 innings of work.
The Tech offense got things going first in the contest, using back-to-back homer from Thomasson and Miles to take an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Governors answered quickly, evening up the score with two runs in the bottom of the second.
Then the Golden Eagles really went to work. In the top of the third, junior Zach Zarzour led off the inning with single to center field. Austin Wulf followed suit, singling to left field. Stephens walked in the next at-bat to load the bases. After a quick out, Miles reached base on a fielder's choice, driving in Zarzour. An error by the APSU third baseman allowed both Wulf and Stephens to score as well, while Miles advanced all the way to third base.
Dylan Bosheers came up next, drilling a single to right center field and driving in Daniel Miles to wrap up the scoring for the Golden Eagles in the third inning. Austin Peay added one more run in the bottom of the third, but the damage had been done by that point, as Tech took a 6-3 lead heading to the fourth inning.
Stephens roped a double down the right field line in the fourth inning, allowing for an RBI single by Thomasson in the next at-bat.
Then the fifth inning came. The Golden Eagle picked up four more runs in the top of fifth, using a James Abraham single to get things started. The senior promptly stole two bases, setting up Austin Wulf for an RBI double after two quick outs. Stephens stepped in next, continuing the Tech scoring effort with a two-run bomb to left field. Bosheers once again wrapped up the scoring in the inning, driving an RBI double to left field to give the Golden Eagles an 11-3 advantage.
Austin Peay and Tech would both add one more run apiece in the contest, allowing the Golden Eagles to collect its 12th OVC win of the season.
Senior righty Nick Price picked up his fifth win of the season, throwing 3.1 innings of relief. He scattered five hits and struck out five batters to close out the contest.
The Golden Eagles squad will wrap up its five-game road trip on Tuesday, April 9 with a contest at Middle Tennessee. Tech will be looking for revenge after the Blue Raiders won in Cookeville earlier this season, coming back from a 7-1 deficit to defeat the Golden Eagles 9-7. Game time is set for 6 p.m. CDT.
