By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the calendar creeps closer and closer to the month of November, a time when the seasonal changes really begin to get in gear and period of outdoor athletics begins to dwindle, the Tennessee Tech baseball is just getting started.
The Golden Eagles kicked off their annual Purple & Gold Series Tuesday evening and followed it up with a rousing contest on Wednesday that provided the Gold Team a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Led by the brilliant play of sophomore first baseman Chase Chambers, the Gold Team boasted a strong offensive display in the first contest. The lefty bat led all players with five RBI on 2-for-4 hitting, including a mammoth grand slam. For good measure, Chambers also drew two walks and stole a base, despite recording zero swipes in his freshman campaign.
Newly minted junior catcher Chris Brown also enjoyed a stellar Game 1 performance for the Gold squad, driving in four runs on two hits. Leadoff man Tyler Brazelton scored four runs after waling three times and getting plunked and second baseman Jake Farr scored three times.
For the Purple Team, Connor Goodspeed provided his own hot bat thanks to a 3-for-3 showing at the dish. He belted a solo home run and drove in a total of four runs. Junior transfer Matt Jones scored three times after reaching twice on base hits.
Game 2 played to different tune. The Purple Team jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with the first three batters of the game, reaching base thanks to back-to-back base hits by Alex Junior and Matt Jones and then a hit-by-pitch on Jake Rowland. Gold Team starter Travis Moths rebounded, striking out the next two batters, but an error kept the inning alive and allowed the first run to cross.
Goodspeed picked up right where he left off in Game 1, blasting a two-run double to give the Purple squad a 3-0 lead before Moths closed out the frame with his third strikeout. The sophomore hurler settled down from that point on, posting three more strikeouts before exiting the game after three and two-thirds innings of work.
Meanwhile, on the mound for the Purple Team, junior Evan Fraliex made relative easy work of the Gold squads hitters, recording four shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks before ending his night. The offense helped out again, making it look like an easy victory for the junior hurler. With Ryan Flick and Trevor Putzig reaching in the top half of the fifth, Goodspeed kept his hot streak rolling right along, ripping a two-run single into the outfield and giving his squad a 5-0 lead.
Something began to brew in the Gold dugout though, as the home team answered in the bottom half with two runs of its own. Fittingly, Chambers provided the first marker with an RBI double. He then promptly stole his second base of the series to set up Anthony El Chibani for an easy sacrifice fly to center field.
The Gold Team put a capper on the game in the sixth, plating five runs to shock the Purple Team and take a 7-5 lead headed into the final half inning. Once again, Chambers provided the offensive support, blasting his second home run of the series, a three-run shot, to tie things at five.
El Chibani drew a walk and advanced to third base on a Nick Osborne single. Brazelton followed with an RBI single to take the lead for good as Brandon Davis (pinch running for Osborne) advanced to third. Brazelton was then picked off trying to steal second, but not before getting a run down between first and second base that allowed Davis to cross home plate for a key insurance run.
That proved quite important as Goodspeed kept playing hero for the Purple Team in the top of the seventh. With two outs and a runner on first, the senior drilled an RBI double bring the deficit to just one run.
Osborne shut the door on the comeback bid, however, striking out the next batter to collect a save while Kyle Godwin took credit for the 7-6, Gold Team victory.
With a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, the Gold Team will look for a clean sweep on Friday when the two sides square off for Game 3 at 3 p.m. at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Photo by Tony Marable
