By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There was certainly no lack of excitement or drama in the finale of the Tennessee Tech baseball team's Purple & Gold Series Wednesday evening, as the Purple Team completed an improbable comeback to take the crown.
Trailing two games to none at one point in the series, the Purple squad eked out victories in the next two contests just to force the decisive Game 5. And even within that contest, it took a storybook ending to complete the comeback.
Trailing 3-2 with headed into the bottom of the seventh and final frame, things looked bleak for the Purple Team before senior utility man Josh Pankratz led off the inning with a single on a full count. Next up for the team was a rookie, freshman Kevin Strohschein who had yet to fully engage his bat in the series.
One swing was all he needed. After working the count full, the outfielder blasted the sixth offering of the at bat clear over the wall in center field for a walk-off, two-run home run to cap a remarkable comeback both in the series and the contest by the Purple Team.
For the day, Pankratz led the Purple squad with two hits and two runs scored. The Gold Team got great support on offense from junior Tyler Brazeton, who's 3-for-4 day with two RBI came up just short in the end.
Photo by Jim Dillon