By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a game for the history books, or at the very least the fifth inning was, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team exploded for a whopping 18 runs in the bottom of the fifth frame Wednesday evening to take a 24-9 decision over visiting Kennesaw State.
The Golden Eagles (13-10) owned a solid 4-2 advantage headed into the bottom half of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run long ball from senior Jake Farr in the opening frame. And then, out of nowhere, the highest scoring inning in program history began to unfold.
Fittingly, it all commenced with the bat of sophomore slugger Ryan Flick, who tied two NCAA records in the frame. The designated hitter crushed an 0-1 offering to left center field for a lead-off solo shot to kick-start a seemingly endless attack.
Next up for the Golden Eagles, junior Matt Jones, playing his first career game at first base in place of an injured Chase Chambers, ripped an 0-2 double to left center field. Trevor Putzig seemed to have recorded the first out of the frame, swinging and missing at a third strike, but the sophomore managed to reach first safely after a wild pitch got away from the Kennesaw State catcher.
Two batters later, sophomore David Garza kicked a flare down the right field line for a double, driving in two more Tech runs and chasing Owl hurler Brian Exley from the game. Redshirt freshman Alex Junior and junior Tyler Brazelton each coaxed five-pitch walks out of new KSU pitcher Jordan Versteeg to load the bags for Farr and the senior delivered again.
Farr kicked a ball down the right field line for a double, clearing the bases for three more RBI. Junior Chris Brown copied Farr, ripping his own double down the right field line for an RBI and the seventh Tech run of the frame, ending Versteeg's day without an out to show for his trouble. On came Brock Turner, but the right-hander would fair no better as the Tech offense continued to roll.
Flick took his turn in the batter's box for the second time in the inning and worked a full count before turning on the eighth pitch of the at bat and crushing it over the fence in right center field. With the two-run shot, the slugger tied and NCAA record and became the first player in college baseball to smack two home runs in a single inning since 2011 when Delaware's Steve Ulaky accomplished the feat.
Tech still wasn't done. Three pitches later, Jones cranked out his own round-tripper to left field, giving the Golden Eagles back-to-back jacks for the first time in over a year. That brought on Logan Hicks to try and stop the bleeding. It still didn't matter.
Putzig ripped a single to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman Kevin Strohschein then drove him in with an RBI single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch soon after. Garza earned a four-pitch free pass and both he and Strohschein took an extra base on another wild pitch. A second walk to Alex Junior in the frame loaded the bases before Hicks finally got the second out of the inning for the Owls, forcing Brazelton to fly out to left center field.
Farr didn't seem to care as the senior second baseman punched a single into shallow center field to drive in two more Tech runs. The RBI were the seventh and eighth of the game for veteran, tying the program record set by All-American Daniel Miles back in the 2014 campaign.
Brown walked to reload the bases and force on more pitching change for the Owls. The visitors turned to Turner Watkins who lasted the longest of any KSU hurler on the night, two and one third innings. That didn't mean the Golden Eagles were done with the fifth though.
With the bases juiced, Flick came back to the plate for the third time in the inning and made history once again. On a 1-2 count, the left-handed hitter drove a ball into the gap in left center field for a two-run double, tying the NCAA record for hits in a single inning with three.
Jones continued the trend with his own double, a one-hopper off the wall in dead center field that drove in two more runs. After Putzig took a breaking ball off the crown of his helmet and wild pitch advanced both himself and Jones, Strohschein put the capper on the frame. The rookie cooked a line drive off the pitcher's out-stretched glove and into center field, driving in one last Golden Eagle run before the inning finally came to an end with a strikeout.
And the end of all the bedlam, the Golden Eagles pounded out 13 hits, drew six walks, smacked five doubles and three home runs and scored a school-record 18 runs. Despite the outrageousness, the team still fell one run shy of tying the NCAA record for most runs in a fifth inning, but the consolation prize of providing plenty of run support for a season-sweep of the Owls was more than enough.
The Golden Eagles did manage to crack out two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, as Putzig hammered his first home run of the season to left field, a two-run shot that gave the Golden Eagles 24 runs for the contest, the fourth-highest scoring game in program history.
Freshman starter Nick Osborne picked up his first victory of the season and tossing the first five innings of the contest. He allowed just two earned runs on four hits while fanning four batters.
Tech finished the game with 18 hits, 11 walks and four hit-by-pitches, as well as 24 RBI. Leading the way with four hits was Jones, who finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored and three RBI. Farr tallied his record-tying eight RBI on a 3-for-6 showing, scoring three runs as well.
Flick drove in five runs on the power of his three-hit inning. He also scored three times. Brown, Putzig, Strohschein and Garza each tallied two RBI on the night while Junior, Putzig and Garza each scored three runs. Junior and Garza earned three walks apiece while Brazelton and Brown took two each.
The Golden Eagles will now focus on a three-game home series against Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Austin Peay beginning with a 6 p.m. CT tilt Friday evening.
Photo by Jim Dillon
