By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
PHOENIX, Ariz. – For the eighth time this season, the Tennessee Tech baseball team rallied for victory after trailing in the fifth inning or later. But Saturday night's comeback was something special and definitely one for the ages, as the Golden Eagles (20-20) scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the No. 5 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (27-12) in their home stadium, 7-4.
One night prior, the Tennessee Tech squad watched as the Sun Devils took a quick 5-0 lead and just staved off a late rally to capture a 6-3 victory. The Golden Eagles weren't about to let that happen Saturday night, striking right away for a 2-0 advantage and catching the home team a little off guard.
Sophomore Tyler Brazelton, who finished the game 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs, set the tone early with a leadoff single off the outstretched glove of a leaping Colby Woodmansee. Following two quick outs by All-American hurler Ryan Kellogg, freshman Chase Chambers took quick advantage of a fastball left in the zone. The first baseman crushed a two-run shot to right field, giving the Golden Eagles the early 2-0 lead.
The next three innings flew by rather quickly, although not without excitement on the defensive end of the game for the Tech squad.
In the first, Arizona State collected a one-out double to put itself in position to at the very least cut the Tech lead in half. Woodmansee nearly accomplished the feat, blasting a ball to center field. Senior David Allen covered an outrageous amount of ground and snatched it out of the air on the run for the second out, however, helping the Tech squad avoid crisis for the time being.
With two outs and runners on the corner in the second, sophomore starter Evan Fraliex and the Golden Eagles got more help from the defense, as Chambers corralled a screaming line drive down the first base line that reeked of at least a double if not more. Just like that, inning over.
It wasn't until the fifth frame that the home squad got its first taste of home plate, using an RBI double by Woodmansee to trim the Tech advantage in half and make it a 2-1 ball game. The Sun Devils then took over in the sixth.
David Greer started the run for ASU, dropping a leadoff, solo shot over the left field wall to knot the game at 2-2. Joey Bielek followed with a single and made it to third after a wild pitch and a tag up on a fly ball to right field.
True freshman Travis Moths took over in relief of Fraliex, but ran into some early trouble in the form of pinch-hitter RJ Ybarra. The junior catcher took a 2-1 offering the other way in a hurry, blasting a two-run home run to left center field to give the Sun Devils a 4-2 lead.
The Golden Eagles stayed resilient, getting back one of those runs in the very next inning thanks to David Allen. The center fielder delivered in a big way in the seventh, driving in Tyler Brazelton (who had singled in the previous at bat) with a double to left center field. The run chased Kellogg from the game as well as cut the ASU lead down to just 4-3.
Arizona State had a premium chance to add insurance runs in the seventh, but the arm of senior Jordan Hopkins kept that attempt at bay. The backstop tossed out Jake Peevyhouse trying to swipe second after drawing a leadoff walk. The next batter also walked, advancing to second on a wild pitch. But the Tech defense came up strong with ground outs to third base and the pitcher to end the frame and threat.
Tech saw a golden opportunity to tie the game come up short in the eighth, as redshirt freshman Ryan Flick delivered a beautiful piece of hitting in the form of an opposite field double down the left field line with two outs. With Johnny Carpenter on to pinch run, the opportunity was there, but a ground out quickly ended that hope and left the Golden Eagles just three more chances.
The Golden Eagles took advantage of every one of them too.
With closer Ryan Burr (named to both the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List) fresh on the hill, things looked bleak for the visiting team, especially after the right hander picked up an quick first out.
But the Tech squad showed a resolve that no team could overcome Saturday night, beginning with an incredible, nine-pitch at bat by outfielder Anthony El Chibani. The sophomore fouled off three straight pitches after working a 2-2 count and then watched diligently as two more offering missed their marks to draw a walk and give the Golden Eagles all the momentum they would need.
As he had done all night, Tyler Brazelton followed with a base hit, putting runners at first and second with just one out. Just after freshman Matt Cunningham came on as a pinch runner for Brazelton, both he and El Chibani advanced on a wild pitch, setting up David Allen to play hero yet again.
The senior worked a full count before spitting a fly ball to right field, providing just enough room for El Chibani to tie the game on a sacrifice fly and make it a brand new ball game. But Tech was just getting started.
All-American Dylan Bosheers didn't get an opportunity to give Tech the lead, watching as the Sun Devils elected to intentionally walk the shortstop to face the man who had already homered in the ball game. After fouling off two pitches, Chambers drilled a ball up the middle and right through the five hole of a shifted Woodmansee, driving in the go-ahead run and turning the Golden Eagle dugout into a frenzy.
And the Golden Eagles weren't finished. With a full count staring him in the face, Jordan Hopkins smashed a towering shot off the wall in right center field. When the dust settled, the senior was up at third with a two-run triple and the Golden Eagles were suddenly out in front with a relatively commanding 7-4 lead.
With just three outs standing in between the Tech squad and an unbelievable victory, closer Jeb Scoggins took to the hill, just in time for the skies to open up with a rare, but somewhat metaphorical rain shower. The rain was just light enough to really have no effect on play, but seemed to signify the rarity of what was about to play out.
Scoggins wasted no time attacking the Sun Devil hitters, pouring in two quick strikes to the first batter before eventually forcing a ground out to recently substituted third baseman, Trevor Putzig. The senior reliever go the next batter down on five pitches, sending Johnny Sewald back to the dugout after looking at a called third strike. He then forced Peevyhouse into a line drive to Bosheers to end the ball game and gather the Golden Eagles' first victory over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 2 Vanderbilt in the 2013 season.
Scoggins picked up his fourth save of the year in the outing while Moths took his third victory of the 2015 campaign after two and two thirds innings of relief. Starter Evan Fraliex turned in a solid no decision on the day, tossing five and one third inning with three earned runs and four strikeouts.
Chambers led the Tech squad with three RBI and two runs while Allen and Hopkins each notched two RBI as well. Brazelton went a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish in the leadoff spot, scoring two runs while also drawing a walk. El Chibani managed a multi-hit game as well, going 2-for-3 with his huge walk in the ninth inning.
The Golden Eagles will go for the series victory on Sunday morning against the Sun Devils when the two squads square off in the 12:30 p.m. CT rubber match.
Photo by Jim Dillon
