By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Offense was the name of the game for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles (18-19, 11-10) exploded for 28 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State (14-27, 9-9).
The Tech squad swept the entire three-game series over the weekend, taking game one on Friday by a score of 11-4 before lighting up the scoreboard on Saturday with victories of 16-10 and 12-7. The sweep marks the first of the season for the Golden Eagles and marks their eighth win in their last 10 games.
Much like the night before, game one on Saturday received its first dent in the scoring column courtesy of redshirt freshman Ryan Flick. The designated hitter crushed a two-run home run to right center field (a ball that eventually found a landing place in left field of Tech Softball Field) in the bottom of the second inning. Tech tallied one more in the frame after a triple down the right field line by Jake Farr and follow-up double to drive him in off the bat of Anthony El Chibani.
Murray State answered with a two spot in the next half inning, and after an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth put the Golden Eagles up 4-2, the home team's bats really got hot, dropping six runs in each of the next two frames.
Back-to-back walks by Flick and Farr, as well as a single to center field by Josh Pankratz, loaded the bases for El Chibani. The sophomore outfielder drew his own free pass, working a full count into an easy RBI. Sophomore Tyler Brazelton followed with an RBI single to left field before the Racers finally managed its first out of the inning.
All-American shortstop Dylan Bosheers doubled to right center field on the third pitch he saw, driving in two as part of a record-breaking day for the senior. A four-pitch walk to freshman Chase Chambers and the second out of the inning brought Flick back to the dish and the youngster did not disappoint, ripping a two-run single through the right side. Just like that, Tech had built a 10-2 lead.
The Racers tallied one in the sixth, but the Tech offense was just getting started. Pankratz led off the inning with a double down the third base line. A single by El Chibani put runners on the corners to set up Brazelton for an RBI single to right field. After watching pitches miss their mark, senior David Allen took a tough offering off the center of his back, shaking the dust off to load the bases for Bosheers.
The fellow senior proved he had his teammate's back (no pun intended), hammering the first pitch he saw clear over the Quillen Field sign in left field for a monster grand slam and his sixth home run of the season. The Golden Eagles would sneak one more run across in the frame to up its lead to a 16-3 advantage.
The visitors made things a little interesting in the eighth, tallying seven runs of their own to close the gap to six, but the deficit proved to be too much as Tech took game one by a final score of 16-10.
Evan Fraliex put together a fine performance on the hill, tossing six inning of four-hit baseball. The sophomore hurler allowed just two earned runs while striking out four on the day, earning his fourth victory of the season.
Bosheers was the lead man in the first contest, setting a career-high with six RB on two hits. The senior also made Golden Eagles history on the day, passing both Austin Wulf and Chad Oberacker to jump into second place on the all-time hits list with his sixth inning grand slam. He finished the day at 255 hits, trailing only his former teammate (and OVC record-holder for home runs, RBI and total bases), Zach Stephens.
Flick added four RBI himself, reaching base in all six plate appearances. The freshman went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. El Chibani and Brazelton each drove in two as well in the first game, combining for five runs scored and five hits.
The piping hot Golden Eagle offense didn't let up in the second contest of the day, immediately jumping out of the gate to a tune of eight runs over the first three innings. In the top of the first, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch, single and Murray State error.
Chambers picked up the first RBI of the game, working a five-pitch walk to put the Golden Eagles into the lead. The next Tech runner crossed the plate on a wild pitch and the third score of the inning came off the bat of none other than Ryan Flick. The freshman just missed out on his second home run of the day, settling for a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field.
In the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagles doubled its advantage over the Racers, using RBI singles by Allen and Chambers, as well as a miscue by the visitors, to take a 6-0 lead. Tech added to its already sizable lead in the next frame as well, once again off the bat of Flick.
This time the slugger did manage his second long ball of the day, crushing a leadoff, solo shot off the green monster in center field. Jake Farr would score later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it an 8-0 ball game.
Murray State proved to be a tough out on the day, scoring five unanswered runs over the next two innings to trim the Tech lead to just three runs. But the Golden Eagle offense remained too hot to handle, pushing their edge back to six in the bottom of the sixth.
Brazelton singled on the first pitch he saw, and after a David Allen sacrifice bunt, watched as the Racers intentionally walked Bosheers to get to Chambers. The freshman waited to make them pay, but was never offered a real chance as he drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases.
Senior catcher Jordan Hopkins took the plate, expecting to take advantage of a golden opportunity. Instead, the Tech squad caught a huge break, as a wild pitch not only got away from the Murray State catcher (allowing one run to score), it also landed in the Golden Eagle dugout, advancing each runner one more base by rule and leading to a second run on the play. Hopkins cleared the bases with an RBI single to cap the inning give Tech an 11-5 lead.
Bosheers provided the final marker for the Tech offense in the game, clubbing his second moonshot of the day to left center field. The Racers tallied two markers in the top of the ninth, but Jeb Scoggins shut the door to help finish the sweep and keep the Golden Eagle momentum rolling forward.
Tech reliever Trevor Maloney took his third victory of the season, coming on for three and one third innings to end the Murray State comeback bid. The junior allowed just a single hit over the span, stymieing the Racer bats and ending virtually any chance at a win for the visiting team.
The Golden Eagles will now hit the road for a four-game road stretch, beginning with a trip to Alabama A&M on Wednesday, Apr. 22. Tech will then fly west for a massive three-game series with No. 4 ranked Arizona State starting Friday, Apr. 24.
Photo by Jim Dillon
