By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the second straight day, a brilliant effort on the hill propelled the Tennessee Tech baseball team to victory over Ohio Valley Conference and in-state rival Belmont, as the Golden Eagles (27-21, 14-12) won the three-game series with a 5-1 victory over the Bruins (28-23, 14-12) Saturday afternoon.
Junior hurler Jake Usher put the Tech squad on his back early and often in the contest, tossing a season-long seven and two thirds innings while scattering six hits and allowing just a single earned run. The right-hander used 119 pitches on the day to strike out a career-high nine batters in the affair while surrendering just two walks.
The Tech offense backed the performance before it even began, gathering the first run of the contest in the top of the first inning. It started with senior infielder Jake Farr, who ripped a double down the left field line to set up the Golden Eagle lead. Two batters later, sophomore slugger Ryan Flick delivered, lacing his own double down the left field line for an RBI and early 1-0 Tech advantage.
From there, Usher cruised while meeting barely any resistance. The lone Belmont run scored in the bottom of the eighth, but before that, the visitors had already plated four more runs for a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, freshman Kevin Strohschein recorded his league-leading 66th RBI of the year with a sacrifice fly to right field. One inning later, sophomore Trevor Putzig turned on the very first pitch he saw, blasting a leadoff long ball to left center field to put the Golden Eagles up by three.
The Golden Eagles knocked in their final two markers of the contest in the top of the eighth, this time off a two-run jack job from sophomore Chase Chambers. The slugger went yard for the second time in as many games, smacking the home run to right field for two RBI and the 5-0 advantage.
Belmont did snag a run in the bottom half, collecting three straight singles before redshirt junior reliever Kit Fowler snagged the final out of the frame by forcing a ground out. The right-handed hurler then made relatively quick work in the ninth, allowing just a single base hit with two outs before ending the contest with a strikeout.
Usher claimed his third victory of the season with the fantastic outing while the offense pounded out 10 hits to back the performance. Redshirt freshman Alex Junior, Farr, and Putzig each notched two hits in the contest while Chambers led the way with two RBI.
The Golden Eagles will now look for the series sweep with a game three victory on Sunday. First pitch is set for a 1 p.m. CT start at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville.
Photo by Jim Dillon
