By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Timely pitching and a total team effort at the plate propelled the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a 10-3 victory over visiting Southeast Missouri in the two teams' Ohio Valley Conference opener Thursday evening.
Competing at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, the Golden Eagles (19-12, 3-4) used a solid start from Matt Gelorme to give the offense time to provide an early lead. The right-handed hurler used his strong defense throughout the contest, starting with a double play immediately after allowing a lead-off single to start the game.
Both sides traded zeroes in the opening two frames, with Gelorme bending, but never breaking. He stranded four runners over the first three innings and was rewarded in the third for his early efforts.
After reaching on a fielder's choice in the third, center fielder Austin Turner stole second, his second swipe of the season. Shortstop Ed Johnson followed with a single through the right side, driving in Turner for the first run of the game.
Two batters later, left fielder Jason Hinchman sent a towering fly ball to right field for what appeared to be a routine out to end the frame. An error by the Redhawk outfielder allowed the Tech slugger to reach second and Johnson to race around third and score the second Tech run of the inning.
With a 2-0 lead, Gelorme picked up a pair of strikeouts to end the fourth and strand two more SEMO batters on the bases paths. He induced the team's second double play of the game in the fifth, taking Tech to its big offensive explosion for the game.
A pair of Redhawk errors to open the bottom half of the frame put Tech second baseman Noah Hattier at second base. A fly ball out allowed him to reach third before third baseman Gabe Lacy was hit by a pitch and Hinchman drew a walk. Hattier finally dented the dish on a wild pitch, making it a 3-0 lead.
Right fielder Eric Newsom followed by drawing a walk of his own on seven pitches, loading the bases once more. In stepped first Golston Gillespie, looking to break the game wide open. The switch hitter delivered, hammering the first pitch he saw clear over the scoreboard in right field for a grand slam, his seventh long ball of the season.
Gelorme gathered one out in the sixth before being lifted with a pair of runners on base. Reliever Colt Taylor entered and rebounded after walking the first batter he faced on four pitches, racking up back-to-back punch-outs to get out of the jam.
Hinchman made it an 8-0 Golden Eagle lead in the bottom of the sixth, peppering an RBI single up the middle.
Taylor ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh, loading the bases after totaling a pair of outs. Southpaw Jackson Berry took over, working a full count before gathering a critical swing and miss to escape another jam for the Golden Eagles.
Tech continued to add insurance in the seventh, with designated hitter Hayden Gilliland working a seven-pitch free pass. Catcher Will Long followed by depositing the sixth pitch he saw over the Quillen Field sign in left field. The home run represented his third of the season and gave the Golden Eagles an even 10 runs.
Berry worked through the final two frames for Tech, scattering three total runs, including two earned, over three hits to finish off the win. Gelorme picked up his second win of the year, tallying three strikeouts in total.
Seven of Tech's nine hitters secured at least one hit while all nine starters scored at least one run. Both Hinchman and Gillespie led the way with two knocks each. Gillespie paced the squad with four RBI. The Golden Eagle pitching staff stranded 14 SEMO runners in the contest, coming up clutch inning after inning.
The two teams are set to square off in another 6:00 p.m. CT tilt Friday evening at Quillen Field.
File photo by Thomas Corhern
