SAVANNAH, Ga. – The lower end of the Golden Eagle lineup stepped to the forefront Saturday afternoon and helped lead Tennessee Tech (3-2) to a satisfying, 11-8 victory over Big Ten foe Michigan (2-4) at historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Ga.
Tech will wrap up its three-game jaunt to the coast on Sunday with an 11 a.m. contest against Davidson.
Anthony El Chibani (in photo), batting eighth in the lineup, and Jordan Hopkins, in the ninth spot, combined to go 4-for-7 and drive in five runs in the victory. Starter Evan Freliex (1-0) worked five solid innings to pick up his first win of the year, while Jeb Scoggins tossed the final 2.1 innings to claim his first save. In between, Kyle Godwin got out of a huge jam in his 1.2 innings on the hill.
Tech used a six-run third inning to bolt to an 8-0 lead before Michigan battled back to make it 8-6 in the seventh. The Golden Eagles responded with a three-spot in the top of the eighth for an 11-6 lead, which proved to be enough when Michigan rallied for two in the bottom of the ninth.
Tech got on the board with two runs in the second on an RBI groundout from Trevor Putzig and a run-scoring single by El Chibani.
The Golden Eagles put up six unearned runs in the third, combining four hits and a pair of Wolverine errors to build an 8-0 lead. David Allen started things with a single up the middle, and Chase Chambers and Josh Pankratz each drew two-out walks to load the bases. An error allowed Allen to score, before El Chibani's clutch, two-run single to left center. With two still aboard, Hopkins doubles down the right field line to make it 7-0. Leadoff hitter Jake Farr struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch on the third strike. Another error plated Hopkins with Tech's eighth run.
Michigan put up a run in the bottom of the third as Jake Bivens doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Jackson Glines' single. Carmen Benedetti blasted Michigan's first home run of the season, a three-run shot to right in the fifth, trimming Tech's lead to 8-4.
The Wolverines continued to cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh with a single, double and back-to-back sacrifice flies that made it 8-6.
All-American Dylan Bosheers delivered the key blow in Tech's three-run eighth. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases as El Chibani walked, Hopkins singled and Farr was hit by a pitch. Allen's deep fly ball brought home one run, before Bosheers doubled to left for th final two runs.
Michigan scored a pair of runs in the ninth before Scoggins coaxed a flyout to end the game.
