By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Less than 24 hours after being held to six hits by Ohio Valley Conference rival Southeast Missouri, the Tennessee Tech baseball team flipped the book on the home team as the Golden Eagles (21-23, 12-11) nearly tripled their output with the bats (and received an incredible relief performance from freshman Travis Moths) in an 11-5 victory over the Redhawks (30-16, 20-6) in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Much like the night before, the Tech squad kicked off the scoring in Saturday's match-up against the OVC's first-place squad, collecting the contest's first run off the bat of redshirt freshman Ryan Flick. The Golden Eagles started the game with leadoff man and left fielder Tyler Brazelton reaching after a five-pitch walk.
Senior David Allen followed right behind, taking first after a fielding error by the Redhawks. After a fly out by shortstop Dylan Bosheers allowed Brazelton to advance to third, Flick sent the first pitch he saw deep to center field for a sacrifice fly and first run of the game.
Southeast Missouri answered in the bottom of the second, collecting two runs on two hits and two Tech miscues. Brazelton struck again for the Golden Eagles in the top of the third, however, tying the game with his second home run of the season, a leadoff bomb to left field on the first pitch he saw.
Once again, the Redhawks looked to put the visitors out of the game, plating three runs over the next two innings while chasing Golden Eagle starter Evan Fraliex from the game. Headed to the fifth, the home squad owned a 5-2 lead and a good amount of momentum.
It didn't take long for the Golden Eagles to change that as the bats came out in full force and freshman hurler Travis Moths turned in arguably the most impressive performance of his young career.
As far as the offense goes, the Tech squad got it all started in the top of the fifth (and really never let up until the ninth), with sophomore Anthony El Chibani singling through the right side after the first out of the frame. Brazelton smacked a flare to right field in the next at bat, setting up David Allen for some fun.
The center fielder singled to left field, driving in El Chibani to trim to the lead to 5-3. But the play wasn't over. An error in the outfield allowed Allen to come around all the way to third, and by circumstance also allowed Brazelton to cross the dish and flash another marker on the scoreboard for the visitors.
All-American Dylan Bosheers made sure to make his at bat count and tie things up, ripping an RBI single to left field to square the score at 5-5 after the top of the fifth. And the bats were just warming up.
In the sixth, the Redhawks quickly recorded the first out, much like the prior turn for the Tech offense. And things turned out essentially the same. After working the count full and fouling off a total of three pitches, junior Jake Farr drilled a single through the right side to set up the developing power bat of Chase Chambers.
The freshman first baseman watched two pitches miss their mark before laying into Redhawk starter Travis Hayes' third offering, blasting a two-run bombzini over right field fence and providing the Moths with all the run support he would need. But the Golden Eagles still weren't done.
Freshman third baseman Trevor Putzig followed the dinger off the bat of Chambers by singling up the middle and promptly stealing second base. The theft allowed him to cross home plate after El Chibani singled up the middle. The Redhawks grabbed the second out of the frame by catching El Chibani trying to swipe second base, but Brazelton took care of business at the dish, singling through the left side to keep the inning alive.
Allen doubled down the right field line to put two in scoring position for the Bosheers, an opportunity becoming increasingly rare for the Lawrenceburg, Tenn. native due to his threatening ability to drive in runs. For the seventh time this season, the senior was intentionally walked, loading the bases for the team's RBI leader, Ryan Flick.
And he took home a well-earned RBI, fouling off three pitches during a seven-pitch at bat before watching ball four pass by. Following the end of the sixth, Tech owned a 9-5 lead.
Tech scored twice more in the contest, plating runners in the seventh and eighth innings with an RBI single by El Chibani and RBI single by Farr.
As for the pitching, Moths was nothing short of dominant coming of out of the bullpen, covering the final five and one third innings to collect his third victory of the season. The freshman entered the contest in the fourth, promptly striking out the first batter he faced on four pitches. He would set down eight more Redhawk batters on strikes the rest of the way, allowing just two hits and two walks while shutting down arguable the most potent offense in the league.
Moths fanned the next two batters that came to plate, and retired seven straight Southeast Missouri players before allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. He recovered nicely, however, striking out the next Redhawk batter before inducing an inning-ending double play.
Most impressively the right-hander battled back from some adversity in the eighth inning, allowing two base runners to reach with one out. He forced a pop out to the next batter, but a wild pitch let the runners advance to second and third. No matter. Moths dug deep to strike out the final batter of the inning and kill any kind of momentum left in the home squad.
Inning number nine seemed to a breeze for the youngster, as he closed out the final frame with three consecutive punchouts, all swinging, to gather the big victory for the Golden Eagles.
Brazelton led the charge on the day for the Tech offense, collecting three hits in for at bats, scoring four times and driving in a run as well. Flick drove in two runs in the contest, despite not collecting a hit. Chambers and El Chibani each tallied multiple RBI as well, with the latter going 3-for-5 at the dish.
Putzig enjoyed one of his best career games with a bat, scoring two runs as part of a 3-for-5 performance. Bosheers, Allen and Farr each tallied two hits as well, giving the Golden Eagles 16 for the game.
The rubber match between the two league rivals will begin Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. CT first pitch at Capaha Field. The Golden Eagles will look to win their fourth straight OVC series while handing the Redhawks their first series loss in league play this season.
Photo by Jim Dillon
