By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A fierce rally over the final three innings came up just short for the Tennessee Tech baseball team (4-3) Sunday afternoon, as the visiting Bucknell Bison (4-3) held on for a 6-5 victory to take the weekend series.
After stranding 16 runners on base in Saturday's action, the Golden Eagle scoring woes continued through the first six innings of the ball game. The Bison held the Tech lineup scoreless for two thirds of the contest, preventing 10 Golden Eagle base runners from crossing the plate.
Facing a 6-0 deficit entering the bottom of the third, senior Jake Farr sparked the first scoring session of the game for the home squad, kicking off the inning with a single off the pitcher's glove on an 0-2 count. The second baseman reached third base on back-to-back wild pitches with Chris Brown locked into a 2-2 battle with Bucknell hurler Max Kra.
The Golden Eagle catcher decisively won the battle at the plate, launching a mammoth, two-run moonshot into right center field, his first home run in the TTU purple and gold. The Bison recorded their first out before giving up a single through the right side to freshman Kevin Strohschein. A two-out double from the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Rookie of the Year, Ryan Flick, put runners on second and third before a sac fly from third baseman Matt Jones provided Tech's third run of the inning.
Bucknell closed out the frame and held Tech off the scoreboard in the eighth, giving the ball to closer Danny Rafferty in the bottom of the ninth. After picking up the save in Saturday's contest, the Bison southpaw collected his first out after a torched ground ball by Brown was handled cleanly at third base and tossed to first base.
He then got ahead in the count on Golden Eagle first baseman Chase Chambers, who made two spectacular diving stops earlier in the contest. Facing a 1-2 offering from Rafferty, Chambers ripped a single up the middle to give Tech life in the ninth.
The Bucknell closer caught Strohschein looking at a borderline call on the outside corner for the second out, bringing Flick to the dish in an interesting match-up between friends. Flick and Rafferty served as teammates for the Strasburg Express of the Valley League in summer ball prior to the season, giving the pitcher a possible edge in the match-up with some inside knowledge.
After a first-pitch ball, Rafferty got ahead in the count with a nice pitch on the outside corner and a swing-and-miss by Flick. On his fourth offering, however, Flick wasn't missing. Instead, the sophomore slugger crushed a two-run missile that'll go down as one of the farthest balls hit in Bush Stadium history. The bombzini cleared the green monster in dead center field, leaving the Golden Eagles just a run back from tying the game in dramatic fashion.
It all fell just short, however, as Rafferty composed himself to record a strikeout to end the contest and collect his third save of the year.
Bucknell reliever Christian Tailor earned his first win of the season, while Tech starter Evan Fraliex took the hard-luck loss after four and one-third innings on the hill allowing just five hits and three earned runs.
The middle of the order did some damage for the Golden Eagle offense, with Brown posting a 3-for-5 day with two RBI. Chambers reached base four times in five trips to the plate, gathering two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to up his remarkable on base percentage for the year up to a staggering .656.
Strohschein posted two hits on the day, along with a walk, while Flick mashed two extra base hits in five trips to the dish.
The Tech baseball team will get one day of rest before hitting the highway for a trip to Nashville to take on No. 3 ranked Vanderbilt Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for a 3 p.m. CT start.
Photo by Rob Schabert, Assistant A.D. for Sports Information & Broadcasting
