By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2022 campaign officially came to a close for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Friday, as the Golden Eagles fell in a pair of contests at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Wild Health Field in Lexington, Ky.
Earlier in the day, the No. 6 seeded Golden Eagles (30-26) clashed with in-state rival Belmont (39-19) in a semifinal showdown with a trip to Saturday's championship game on the line. The No. 1 Bruins prevailed, 8-3, sending the purple and gold into an elimination rematch with No. 2 Southeast Missouri.
The Redhawks (36-20) claimed a 5-2 victory in the late affair, taking the lead late to advance to the title game against Belmont and put an end to Tech's first season back under the direction of head coach Matt Bragga. The purple and gold completed the year 30-27 overall, the program's 12th season of 30 or more wins all-time and ninth with Bragga at the helm.
The Bruins got off to a quick start against the Golden Eagles in the first contest of the day, plating a pair of two-out runs in the first inning. Tech answered in the top of the second, with catcher Hayden Gilliland providing the big swing with an RBI single through the right side.
In the bottom of the second, Belmont again saw a pair of runs dent the dish, again with two outs in the frame. And again, the purple and gold had a response, with center fielder Austin Turner continuing his hot tournament play with a double to left-center field. The speedster reached third on the play thanks to a fielding error.
Following an infield single by shortstop Ed Johnson, third baseman Gabe Lacy drove in Tech's second run of the game, sending a sacrifice fly ball to right-center field. Both sides traded zeroes on the scoreboard over the next three frames, with Tech hurler Matt Gelorme performing admirably after missing the previous week due to injury. With the bullpen already relatively taxed from its previous three games in two days, he provided a key spark.
The right-hander entered the contest in the third and after gathering two outs and allowing two hits, saw the game enter a 12-minute rain delay. Returning swiftly to action, he collected the final out before providing the Golden Eagles with scoreless fourth, fifth, and sixth frames.
In the seventh, the Bruins finally figured things out against the sophomore long enough to collect a pair of runs off Gelorme. He tallied three strikeouts and scattered five hits with just one walk.
Trailing 6-2 in the eighth, Tech attempted one more rally, with left fielder Jason Hinchman driving in Johnson with a ground out to third base. Belmont managed a two-out home run in the eighth to avoid using its closer right away.
The Bruins went to the Kyle Brennan in the ninth anyway after first baseman John Dyer led off the frame with a base hit. Two outs later, Turner also collected a base hit, this one to right-center field. Belmont dug deep and collected the final out to pick up the win and send the Golden Eagles to the elimination affair with SEMO.
Having defeated the Redhawks, 11-10, Thursday evening/Friday morning in a tilt delayed by nearly five hours, Tech's rematch with its long-time rival went very differently, with pitching the dominant factor for both sides.
The Golden Eagles turned to Matthew Meadows to provide as much length as possible in the contest, and the sophomore delivered. Working through on-and-off rain much of the night, he tossed up back-to-back frames of scoreless ball to open the contest, including striking out the side in the second.
Johnson got things going offensively for the Tech in the third, doubling to left field. Lacy followed with a clutch RBI single up the middle, providing an early, 1-0 advantage.
After Meadows worked a 1-2 count to the lead-off batter for the Redhawks in the third, straight-line winds and a cold-air funnel interrupted play for 17 minutes, with both teams evacuating the field. Returning to work swiftly, the right-hander picked up his fourth straight punch-out. He tallied his career-high fifth later in the frame to toss up another zero.
He did so again in the fourth before Southeast Missouri finally made him look human in the fifth. Lincoln Andrews ambushed the first pitch of the frame for a solo home run to tie the game, but Meadows immediately regrouped and gathered three consecutive outs.
In the sixth, he worked around a lead-off single and sacrifice bunt, taking the purple and gold to the seventh. After a quick out, Bragga went to his bench to try and kick start the offense, pinch-hitting Eric Newsom.
The hero in Tech's 3-2 win over No. 1 nationally-ranked Tennessee earlier this year with a game-winning, two-run bomb, Newsom looked like he might again provide the biggest swing of the contest. The slugger uncorked a huge swing on a 1-1 offering, smashing a solo shot to right-center field off the video board to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead.
A lead-off walk and double for the Redhawks finally saw Meadows leave the contest, allowing senior Brock Myers to enter the game. A weak flair to center field saw SEMO tie the game at 2-2 and put a runner at third.
Another shallow fly ball was sent to center field by the Rehawks, but Turner corralled the ball and fired a cannon to Gilliland at home plate, hosing the would-be, go-ahead run for a double play. Myers followed with a clutch strikeout to end the frame.
In the eighth, Southeast Missouri gathered a lead-off hit on a bang-bang play at first, prompting another pitching change by the purple and gold. Frankie Cresta, Tech's best ground-ball pitcher took over on the hill and gathered a quick out on a sacrifice bunt.
After intentionally walking the next SEMO batter to set up a potential double-play ball, the right-hander went ahead 0-2 to catcher Andrew Keck. Unfortunately, he hung a slider on the next pitch, which the Redhawk backstop deposited to right-center field for a three-run home run, using the jet stream of wind to right field to clear the 16-foot wall.
Daniel Holley came on and got Tech out of further damage, securing the final out of the frame with the bases loaded. Up 5-2, the Redhawks collected three outs with just one walk in the ninth to secure the win. Meadows finished the day with a career-best six innings of work, scattering seven hits and allowing just two runs.
Following the conclusion of the championship game on Saturday between No. 1 Belmont and No. 2 Southeast Missouri, a 5-4 Redhawk win in 10 innings, both Hinchman and Johnson were named to the OVC All-Tournament Team.
Photos by Thomas Corhern
