By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was an improbable comeback for the Tennessee Tech baseball team Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles plated a whopping 11 runs in the eighth inning to earn a 12-8 victory over visiting Bradley at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Much like the opening game of the series Friday night, Tech was early to strike, scoring the first run of the ball game in the second inning thanks to an RBI groundout by center fielder Austin Turner. From that point on, however, purple and gold had a tough time getting anything going against Bradley reliever Nick King.
The Braves' hurler held the Tech bats at bay through the seventh inning, limiting the Golden Eagles to just one hit, a two-out single in the seventh. The dominance on the mound allowed his hitters to go to work, which they did beginning in the fourth.
After Tech starter Matt Gelorme struck out the side in the third, the Bradley offense flipped the script in the fourth, loading the bases with a pair of outs to chase the Golden Eagle hurler from the game. Braves' second baseman Cal McGinnis laced the first pitch he saw from newly inserted purple and gold pitcher, Brock Myers, just inside the right-field line, clearing the bases for a 3-1 lead.
Bradley picked up a pair of unearned runs in seventh and two more markers in the eighth to increase the lead to 7-1 and force Tech's second pitching change of the game. Myers turned in a solid showing, completing four innings with two earned runs allowed and seven strikeouts. Southpaw Daniel Holley closed out the eighth for the Golden Eagles, using three pitches to secure the final out and take his team a make-or-break frame.
Like a flip of a switch, the Cookeville crew started to show a patient approach at the dish in the bottom half of the eighth, one that would pay dividends numerous times down the stretch. Shortstop Ed Johnson kicked off the comeback by getting plunked on a 2-2 count. Third baseman Ed Lacy followed with a single up the middle, just the team's third hit of the game and second off King.
Left fielder Jason Hinchman jumped on the first pitch he saw, smashing a ball that on any other day would have left the ballpark for a three-run bomb. But with the wind whipping in from center field all day, the ball hung up for an out at the warning track, allowing Johnson to advance.
Tech finally got to King on the scoreboard, with right fielder Ryan Guardino working a full count before blistering an RBI single through the left side, making it a 7-2 contest and ending the Bradley right-hander's day. Catcher Hayden Gilliland drew a five-pitch walk off of newly entered hurler Troy Hickey to load the bases and Golston Gillespie made the Braves pay.
The first baseman ripped an RBI single through the left side on the fourth pitch of his at-bat, cutting the deficit to four. Designated hitter Luke Jones continued to offensive train, working a 2-2 count before lifting a flare to shallow, left-center field to plate another Tech runner and turn it into a 7-4 affair.
The RBI single prompted another change on the hill for the Braves, with the visitors turning to John Day for some relief after Hickey started Tech second baseman Zach Bondurant with a 2-0 count. Day missed on his first two offerings, walking Bondurant to bring home yet another Golden Eagle and watch his team's lead shrink to 7-5.
The purple and gold continued to challenge the visitors to throw strikes, with Turner drawing his own four-pitch free pass to drive in another Tech run. Johnson followed by watching four more attempts from Day avoid the zone, with the 12th miss providing yet another bases-loaded walk and RBI for the Golden Eagles. Just like that, the game was tied.
Tech stepped on the gas from there, as Lacy watched the Bradley reliever toss his first strike and then promptly lace the third pitch of the at-bat down the right-field line for a two-run single and 9-7 lead. Hinchman fouled off the first pitch of his second turn in the box in the frame and then peppered a ball through the left side to plate another run for a 10-7 advantage.
Guardino worked the count full before drawing his third walk of the season, loading the bases back up for Gilliland. The Golden Eagle backstop responded with two-run single drilled through the right side, finally forcing another pitching change by the Braves. Jacob Campbell came on from the pen and collected the final two outs of the inning, but the damage was done as Tech took a 12-7 lead into the ninth.
Holley worked the final frame to pick up his second win of the season, allowing one run on a double to right-center field and striking out a batter.
Each of Tech's nine batters scored at least once in the ball game, with Johnson, Lacy, and Jones all denting the dish twice. Bondurant and Lacy each turned in multi-hit efforts while seven different Golden Eagles secured at least one.
With the amazing comeback, the purple and gold recorded double-digits in the runs column for the 12th time this season. Tech set a program record on the day as well, recording the most runs in an eighth inning by a Golden Eagle club. It broke the previous mark of 10 posted in a 21-10 victory over Southeast Missouri on May 11, 2014.
With the series squared at 1-1, the two teams will battle in the rubber match Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch at the Quill.
File photo by Thomas Corhern
