By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – There was plenty of history to go around at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Saturday, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team split its Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader with Eastern Illinois.
The Panthers (28-13, 9-6) collected the series win with a 14-9 victory in the second game of the day after the Golden Eagles (22-19, 6-9) evened things with a 15-11 triumph in the first contest of the day. The purple and gold pounded out 19 hits to pick up its victory in game one, out-pacing the visitors.
Tech scored first in the second inning, using a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Austin Turner to drive in designated hitter John Dyer, who led off the frame with a double down the left-field line. The Panthers were quick to answer, knotting things up in the top of the third with a solo run.
Just getting started, the Golden Eagles went to work in the third, with third baseman Gabe Lacy ripping a double down the left-field line. Left fielder Jason Hinchman, who delivered the biggest highlight of all later in the day, drove Lacy in with an RBI single down the left-field line.
Two batters later, right fielder Ryan Guardino smacked a double to right-center field, plating one more to make it a 2-0 lead. Dyer followed, blowing the inning wide open by smashing a two-run home run off the batter's eye in center field. It marked his eighth of the year and 20th of his career, launching him into the top-25 in program history.
After a single by second baseman Noah Hattier, Turner peppered an RBI triple off the wall in right-center field. Tech turned in four more runs in the fourth, starting with an RBI single to center field by Guardino. First baseman Golston Gillespie brought two more home with a single through the right side while Hattier made it a 10-1 advantage with an RBI single.
Guardino collected another RBI on a sac fly to right field in the fifth, before Eastern Illinois attempted to mount a comeback. The Panthers scored five in the sixth, but Tech got on back in the sixth with a lead-off bomb by Gillespie to left field, his 10th round-tripper of the year and 23rd of his career.
EIU scored twice more in the seventh, but Guardino was there to put the game away for the purple and gold. With a pair of runners on, the junior slugger crushed a three-run tank to right-center field to put Tech up 15-8. It marked his 13th of the year and gave him a game-high six RBI on the day.
Despite three more runs from the Panthers in the eighth, Tech held on for the 15-11 victory. Lacy, Hinchman, catcher Hayden Gilliland, Guardino, and Dyer all scored multiple runs while Hattier, Guardino, and Hinchman all secured three hits each. Brock Myers picked up his fourth win of the season after tossing two and one-third frames out of the bullpen.
In Tech's loss in game two of the day, fans saw a string of historic performances none bigger than from senior slugger Jason Hinchman. Trailing 2-0 in the third, shortstop Ed Johnson clubbed a two-run jack to left field to tie the game, his eighth of the year.
Two batters later, Hinchman (pictured left with head coach Matt Bragga and Director of Athletics Mark Wilson) sent the Golden Eagle crowd into a frenzy, uncorking a hefty swing on an 0-1 count. The majestic shot went towering over the fence in right field, providing the Winston, Ga. native with his 19th pump of the season.
More importantly, it marked his 63rd career home run, providing him sole possession of the OVC's and Tech program's all-time career record for round-trippers. He officially passed former Golden Eagles Zach Stephens and Kevin Strohschein to become the new home run king.
EIU answered with a grand slam in the fourth, but Tech was far from done on the day. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Lacy crushed a two-run missile to right-center field, his eighth jack of the year. After a base hit by Hinchman, Guardino secured his second moon blast of the day, a two-run blitz to left-center field for his 14th of the year.
In the sixth, the Panthers collected another grand slam, moving ahead for good with a 10-7 lead. Three more runs in the seventh made it a 13-7 ballgame, but Tech had one last effort after the stretch.
With one out, Hinchman clobbered the first pitch he saw for a solo laser over the fence in left-center field marking the 64th of his career to extend his historic title. It also marked his 20th on the year, making him just the second Golden Eagle (along with TTU Sports Hall of Famer A.J. Kirby-Jones) to record two seasons with 20 or more. It represented just the sixth 20-dinger season in program history as well.
Next up for the purple and gold, Guardino made it back-to-back bombs with a solo smash over the batter's eye in center field. The Santa Barbara, Calif. native produced his 15th blast of the year and second of the game. It marked his sixth game with multiple home runs on the year (a single-season program record), tying him for the second-most such performances in a career in school history. He now trails just Strohschein's eight.
Johnson and Hinchman each recorded three hits in the second game of the day, with Hinchman scoring three times. Guardino led the team with three RBI while Johnson, Lacy, and Hinchman each posted two.
Tech will return to action with a three-game road series at OVC foe SIUE next weekend, starting with a Friday tilt at 5:00 p.m. CT.
Photos by Emily Armstrong
