By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A furious, eighth-inning comeback bid proved too little too late for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Tuesday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell in Nashville to in-state rival Lipscomb, 12-8, in rematch of the team's meeting earlier this season.
Trailing by as many as eight runs as deep as the top of the eighth inning, the Golden Eagles (25-21) jumped all over three different relievers sent out by the Bisons (25-23), scoring four times before the first out could ever be recorded.
Leading the way in the frame was junior catcher Chris Brown, who welcomed Lipscomb reliever Geordie Carlson the contest by blasting the first pitch he saw clear over the fence in left field to cut the home squad's lead to 10-3. And the Golden Eagles were just beginning.
Sophomore Trevor Putzig worked a full count in the next at bat before taking first base on a free pass. Fellow sophomore Chase Chambers followed suit, drawing his own walk to put two runners on the base paths. That set up senior Josh Pankratz for a perfect pinch hitting situation.
The third baseman was little time making his presence felt, lifting the second pitch offered to him into right center field for an RBI single. The lead was now down to 10-4 with two runners still on base.
Sophomore shortstop David Garza made sure to keep the Golden Eagle rally rolling, lacing his third triple of the year down the right field line to turn it into a four-run game just like that. A Tyler Brazelton groundout drove Garza in from third, cutting Lipscomb's advantage to 10-7, but it would be as close as the visitors would come.
The Bisons turned to Jaesung Hwang for the final two innings, and the reliever obliged, ending Tech's eighth inning and allowing just one more earned run in the ninth after his team posted two of its own in the bottom of the eighth. Hwang took the save and allowed Adam Stewart to garner the victory on the night.
Offensively, the Golden Eagles were led by Chris Brown, who pounded out three hits and scored two runs with one RBI. Both Pankratz and Garza tallied multiple RBI in the contest, combining for a 3-for-6 effort in the contest. Garnering two walks, Chambers scored twice for in the Tech effort.
On the hill, sophomore Travis Moths enjoyed a health inning of work, allowing just a single base runner on a walk while fanning three in the eighth inning.
The Golden Eagles will return to Nashville on Friday, kicking off a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series with in-state rival Belmont with a 6 p.m. CT match-up.
Photo by Jim Dillon
