By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team earned a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon, defeating the College of Charleston in the second contest of the day to even the series at the Ballpark at Patriots Point.
Rallying from an early deficit in the first game of the day, the Golden Eagles (11-13) tied things in the sixth before the Cougars (11-14) pulled away late for a 9-6 win. The purple and gold rode the comeback train again in the second tilt, taking the lead in the eighth and holding on for a 5-4 victory to square the series at 1-1.
Charleston took the first lead of the second contest, snagging a home run off Tech hurler Ty Fisher in the third. The home squad added to its advantage in the fourth, collecting two more runs on a triple.
The purple and gold responded in the top of the fifth, with right fielder Tynan Shahidi leading things off with a double to left-center field. Two batters later, shortstop Ed Johnson drove him in for the first Tech marker of the game, lifting a double to left field.
Second baseman Brett Roberts kept things moving along for the offense, singling up the middle for another Golden Eagle run. Tech then took its first lead of the game in the sixth, plating a pair for the 4-3 advantage.
First baseman Golston Gillespie led off the frame with a bunt single to third base and was followed by a single down the right-field line by third baseman Gavin Johns. A sac bunt from catcher Will Long allowed both runners to advance into scoring position, setting up Shahidi for another big hit.
The sophomore lined a frozen rope to left field, driving in both Johns and Gillespie for the 4-3 lead. Charleston tied it back immediately, using a double and single in the bottom half of the sixth to even things at 4-4.
After six strong innings from Fisher, who gave up four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks, the Golden Eagles turned to senior reliever Grant Phillips. Riding the hot hand from a three-inning save a weekend ago, the right-hander held the Cougars without a base runner over the final three frames on Saturday while punching out four. He would go on to collect his first win of the season.
Tech took control on the scoreboard for good in the eighth, with sophomore Gabe Lacy kicking things off with a one-out double to left-center field. Long delivered the hit of the game, ripping a single up the middle to bring Lacy home and give Tech a 5-4 lead.
Four Golden Eagles recorded multiple hits in the second game of the day, with Shahidi leading things with two RBI.
The purple and gold opened the series with a bang in game one, as senior Cody Littlejohn crushed a solo bomb to right-center field on the second pitch of the contest. The Cougars answered with a leadoff round-tripper of their own in the bottom half of the first and proceeded to score five more unanswered over the next four innings.
In the sixth, Tech got right back into the game, with Johns producing a monster, three-run jack to center field to make it a 6-4 ball game. Later in the frame, Johnson continued to chip away at the Charleston edge, blistering an RBI triple to center field.
Roberts completed the comeback for the Golden Eagles, driving in Johnson with an RBI single up the middle. The Cougars took back the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth, using a pair of doubles to do the damage. The home team then added a pair of insurance markers in the eighth.
Both Roberts and Johns recorded three hits in the opening tilt, with Johns leading the way with a trio of RBI. Freshman Jackson Berry struck out six in three and a third innings of work on the mound, allowing four earned runs.
The series finale is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. CT first pitch on Sunday in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
File photo by Jaylynn Nash, NC State Athletics
