By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A pair of comebacks propelled the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of visiting North Alabama Saturday, as the Golden Eagles claimed the weekend series with the Lions after pulling off victories of 5-4 and 7-3 at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The day started with a wild contest, one that saw the home purple and gold pick up its first walk-off victory since the season-finale of the 2021 campaign. North Alabama (5-9) got the offense going first in the contest, plating three runs in the second frame without the benefit of a hit.
Two bases-loaded walks and a sacrifice fly provided the early damage, but reliever Matt Gelorme was able to somewhat limit the damage after entering the contest with no outs and the bases loaded. The Lions added one more to their total in the third with an RBI double, but the Tech pitching was spectacular the rest of the way.
Following three innings by Gelorme, who allowed just one run on two hits and a walk with three punchouts, the Golden Eagles turned to junior right-hander Andrew Guardino. The Santa Barbara, Calif. native was brilliant, completing four, no-hit frames with just one walk allowed and a pair of strikeouts.
Sophomore Parker MacCauley picked up his first career win after finishing the ninth inning with just one hit allowed and no runs.
The Tech offense went to work in the fourth with Gelorme controlling the Lion bats, nabbing its first marker of the day thanks to an RBI single through the left side off the bat of left fielder Preston Ford. In the fifth, the Cookeville crew struck again, this time with Theo Bryant IV delivering a sacrifice fly ball to left field to shrink the deficit to 4-2.
Ford produced again in the sixth, this time blasting his first career home run to center field to make it a 4-3 ball game. The junior JUCO transfer finished the contest a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
North Alabama handled its business up until the ninth, and even then looked well on its way to a series win. The Golden Eagles had other plans, as Bryant drew a four-pitch walk to keep hope alive.
After UNA's first pitch to third baseman Peyton Mills missed its mark, the senior transfer from Charleston Southern hammered a two-run jack down the left-field line, clearing the fence for the walk-off win and sending the Golden Eagle faithful into a frenzy. It marked his team-leading fifth dinger of the season.
In game two, the home purple and gold once again rallied back, albeit in less dramatic fashion. North Alabama was quick to score a run in each of the first two innings, but Tech starter Hunter Mann pitched well enough to keep his team alive. The junior completed three innings, allowing one earned run, two total runs, and two walks while fanning five.
The Golden Eagles cut the deficit in half in the second inning, with second baseman Troy Baunsgard stealing third base and scoring on an errant throw by the UNA catcher. Tech turned things up a notch in the fifth, with Baunsgard providing the initial spark.
First baseman John Dyer drew a leadoff walk before the Lions gathered their first out. Baunsgard took his turn at the dish and proceeded to pulverize the first pitch he saw to left field for a two-run, go-ahead tank. His fourth round-tripper of the year move TTU out in front 3-2.
For good measure, left fielder Elijah Brooks and center fielder Austin Turner worked a pair of full counts before each taking a free pass with two outs. On a 3-1 offering, catcher Hayden Gilliland opted to take a mighty hack and the decision paid off.
The junior's mash just squeaked over the outstretched glove of the UNA left fielder and over the fence in left field for a three-run oppo taco. The blast marked Gilliland's fourth of the year and increased the lead to 6-2.
Taking over on the mound in the fourth, junior Reece McDuffie provided three strong innings, allowing just one, unearned run on one hit before Colt Taylor took over in the seventh. The right-hander finished one and one-third frames without allowing a run, but got into a little trouble in the eighth after a pair of Lions reached.
Redshirt junior Jacob Morin stepped in and induced a double-play ball to end the frame. He went on to pitch a perfect ninth with a pair of punchies, picking up his first save of the season.
For good measure, shortstop Nick Spardone added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, smashing his first career jack to left field. Gilliland and Spardone each picked up a pair of hits in the second ball game of the day to lead the offense.
Tech will make a quick visit west for a Wednesday tilt against longtime, in-state rival Middle Tennessee, squaring off with the Blue Raiders in a 6:00 p.m. CT match-up on Mar. 14.
Photo by Jim Dillon
