MARTIN, Tenn. - An eight-run first inning set the tone for the
Tennessee Tech baseball team (17-6, 7-1) as the Golden Eagles won
their 10th consecutive game and seventh straight series with a 13-8
victory over in-state rival UT Martin (8-15, 1-7) Saturday
afternoon.
With their 10th straight win, the 2013 Golden Eagle squad now owns the second longest single-season winning streak in program history. The 1955 Tech team won 14 conseuctive games to start the year on its way to a 17-2 final record. Saturday's win also propelled the Golden Eagles to their best start to a season since 1982 when Hall of Fame coach David Mays led Tech to an 18-4-1 start. The Golden Eagles are now 7-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, ranking first in the league.
All nine Tech starters recorded at least one hit in the contest and six of them also drove in at least one run. The bottom of the lineup proved to be the strong side in the game as Dylan Bosheers (batting seventh), Zephan Guyear (eighth), and Jordan Parris (ninth) all hit home runs. The three Golden Eagles combined for seven of the team's 12 RBI in the contest, gathering a shared six hits.
First baseman Wade Collins led the offensive effort for UT Martin, going 2-for-4 with three RBI off a home run in the first inning. It wasn't enough, however, as the Golden Eagle bats gave plenty of room for starter Nick Price (4-1) to earn his fourth victory of the season.
Sparking the Tech victory was an eight-run first inning that saw all nine batters get an at-bat. The first two batters of the contest, Zach Zarzour and Austin Wulf, were both hit by a pitch, giving junior Zach Stephens a golden opportunity early in the contest.
The slugger delivered, doubling down the left field line after a double steal by Zarzour and Wulf. Both runners scored to give Tech the early 2-0 lead. After a fielding error allowed Brandon Thomasson to reach base safely, third baseman Daniel Miles drilled a single to left field to load the bases. Senior James Abraham responded, roping a two-run double to right center field to double the Golden Eagle lead to 4-0. Dylan Bosheers grounded out on the next play to drive in Miles for the fifth run of the inning.
The Skyhawks managed to record an out before Abraham swiped his eighth base of the season, setting up catcher Jordan Parris with a runner at third. Parris kept the Golden Eagle inning alive, smashing his first dinger of the season over the left field wall. Zarzour and Wulf both singled in the next two at-bats and Zarzour scored on a wild pitch to wrap up the huge first inning for Tech.
UT Martin did manage to scatter eight runs across the rest of the contest, but the Golden Eagle bats never cooled down, scoring five more runs off a sac fly by Miles and two two-run dingers by Bosheers and Guyear.
Thomasson grabbed a base hit in the sixth inning to extend his impressive hitting streak to 15 games.
The Golden Eagles will look to make it 11 straight on Sunday in the series finale at Martin. Game time is set for 1 p.m. CDT and will pit sophomore Jacob Honea against UTM sophomore Dalton Potts. Tech will also be looking for its second series sweep of an OVC opponent in a row.
