By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Pitching and timely hitting were yet again the fuel for the Tennessee Tech baseball team on Sunday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles claimed a massive, 4-3 win over Southeast Missouri at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
The win secured another Ohio Valley Conference series victory for the purple and gold (25-15, 10-5), making it four straight since dropping the opening slate at Southern Indiana earlier this year. The series triumph put Tech in a tie for first place in the league with Little Rock (22-17, 10-5) who earned a 14-inning win on Sunday to remain tied at the top. The Golden Eagles have now won 12 of their last 15 games.
For the third straight day, Tech's starter on the mound delivered an absolute gem and completed at least seven innings as Jaxson Pease delivered the best outing of his young career to date. Moving to an impressive 5-1 on the year, the sophomore toed the rubber for 8.2 frames, holding the Redhawks (20-20, 9-6) to just five hits, three runs, and two earned runs.
Pease struck out a career-high eight batters in the contest without issuing a free pass. He provided plenty of time for his offense to build a lead and was eventually rewarded for his spectacular display on the hill.
He sat down the side in order to open the contest and used a double play in the second frame to move on to the third. After leading off the inning with a double to left-center field, the Redhawks used some small ball to plate the first run of the game behind a sac bunt and ground out.
Tech's offense had Pease's back immediately, thanks to the bat of second baseman Troy Baunsgard. Living up to his true alter ego, Troy 'Bombsgard,' the senior tied the ball game on the second pitch he saw, hammering a solo laser over the wall in left-center field. It marked his sixth home run of the year.
Back in the saddle, Pease went back to dominating the ball game, allowing just one hit in the fourth, setting down the side in order with one strikeout in the fifth, and punching out one more batter in a three-up, three-down sixth.
Two more punch outs and a ground out in the seventh earned the Knoxville native his sixth zero on the scoreboard, and his offense rewarded him. Third baseman Tanner Shiver, who delivered two absolute web gems on the defensive side of the ball, led off the bottom of the seventh with a hustle double to right center field.
Shortstop Preston Steele laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Shiver over to third. Center fielder Jackson Green grinded out a seven-pitch walk, setting up another small ball moment for the purple and gold.
Watching the first two offerings go by, left fielder Austin Turner laid down a sacrifice bunt of his own, driving in Shiver for a clutch RBI. The senior also reached safely on a fielder's choice as the Redhawks failed in their attempt to nab Shiver at the plate.
Southeast Missouri finally got to Pease again in the eighth, scraping a solo round-tripper to left-center fielder to square the game at 2-2. The Tech hurler shrugged it off, gathering another strikeout and a fly ball to move on to the bottom of the frame.
Again, the Golden Eagle bats rewarded their starter, this time with some more fireworks. Catcher Hayden Gilliland was drilled in the back on a 2-2 offering to put the winning run on base. After picking up an out, the Redhawks went back to its bullpen, calling on a right-hander to face first baseman Preston Ford.
The senior delivered the biggest swing of the ball game, hammering a 1-0 pitch to right-center field for a massive, game-winning, two-run blast. His fourth dinger of the season provided a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth.
Back out trying to finish the game, Pease picked up a ground ball out on a flashy play up the middle by Steele and then used three pitches to pick up his eighth K of the ball game. He forced another ground ball that seemed destined to end the ball game, but an error by the Tech defense extended the inning.
SEMO collected one, unearned run with a sneaky base hit down the left-field line, officially ending Pease's day as Tech head coach went to his bullpen to secure the final out. Rookie Jack Brafa entered his hat into the ring and looked like a veteran closer who had performed on this stage 1,000 times before.
It took the freshman righty just four pitches to end the ball game, striking out Caleb Corbin, one of the OVC's leaders in batting average, on a called strike three. He earned his second career save for the effort.
Baunsgard led Tech with two of the team's five hits in the contest while Ford paced the group with two RBI. Turner drew his 44th walk of the year moving into a tie for seventh for the most free passes in a single season in school history. He also moved into sole possession sixth in school history in career walks, boasting 117 to his name.
The Golden Eagles will play host to in-state rival Lipscomb in a rematch in Cookeville Tuesday evening. The 6:00 p.m. CT tilt at the Quill will represent Tech's final midweek contests of the year at home.
Photo by Jim Dillon
