By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A dazzling display on the mound lifted the Tennessee Tech baseball team to an extra-inning victory over in-state rival ETSU Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles defeated the Buccaneers, 4-2, at Thomas Stadium.
For the second straight week, right-handed hurler Peyton Calitri tossed a gem for the purple and gold, turning in one of the better pitching performances in program history. After taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning of last week's Friday tilt at Southeastern Louisiana, a contest he finished with eight innings of work, one hit, and one earned run allowed, the Tech ace upped the ante in Johnson City.
In his most impressive display on the hill yet, Calitri kept the Bucs guessing all day, allowing just two earned runs while completing 10 innings for the Golden Eagles. It marked the third-longest outing by a pitcher in program history and most inning pitched by a Tech arm since Matt Smith completed 11 against Southeast Missouri on May 17, 2007.
The Tech bats gave him an early lead, with first baseman Golston Gillespie leading off the top of the second with a double down the right-field line. Later in the frame, catcher Will Long sent a long fly ball to center field, driving in Gillespie with a sac fly for a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Golden Eagles struck again, with designated hitter Hayden Gilliland reaching second base on an ETSU miscue in right field. Two batters later, second baseman Nick Spardone drove him in with his own sac fly to center field, making it a 2-0 advantage.
Calitri made his only mistake of the night in the bottom half, hanging a breaking ball that ETSU's Cam Norgren lifted just over the wall in right field for a game-tying home run. The sophomore hurler quickly recovered to record his fourth strikeout of the game and never looked back.
A native of Collierville, Tenn., Calitri spent the next five frames dissecting the Buc lineup, punching out six more batters and holding the home team to just one hit along the way. His effort took the contest to extras for the second consecutive Friday, but this time, it was the Golden Eagles taking home the prize.
Shortstop Ed Johnson led off the extra frame with a huge double down the right-field line, setting Tech up for the eventual win. Jason Hinchman followed by drawing a walk and setting things up for Gillespie. The Golden Eagle slugger delivered, ripping an RBI single to center field for the lead.
Two batters later, Gilliland provided some insurance, peppering his own RBI single to center field for a 4-2 lead. It would prove plenty for the stud on the mound.
After fanning the side in the ninth, Calitri made it four straight Ks with a punch-out to kick off the 10th. Even after a base hit, the righty never wavered, forcing a pop-up and a ground ball out to end the night.
He picked up his third win of the season, striking out a career-high 11 batters with no walks and just five hits allowed across the 10 innings. Gillespie and Johnson both led Tech with two hits while the four runs were driven in by a quartet of batters.
Game two of the series is slated for a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.
File photo by Jim Dillon
