By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Neither the brutal cold nor Bowling Green could stand in the way of the Tennessee Tech baseball team securing the win Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles claimed a 1-0 pitcher's dual at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex in the season opener.
Braving temperatures in the 30's and whipping wind, the Tech squad turned to junior hurler Peyton Calitri to get the 2023 campaign started in style and the veteran right-hander delivered a spectacular showing. Tossing five innings, Calitri held the Falcon bats to just four hits without issuing a walk and while fanning six.
The Golden Eagles jumped on the board in the second inning, turning in what would prove to be the lone run of the ball game. Catcher Hayden Gilliland led off the frame by getting plunked with a pitch on a 2-2 count.
Second baseman Eddie Garza followed by smashing a ground ball that bounced off the outstretched glove of the Falcons' diving second baseman and rolled into foul territory, allowing Garza to reach second safely with a double. With Gilliland sitting just 90 feet away at third, right fielder Theo Bryant IV provided the game-winning play, sending a towering fly to right-center field for a sacrifice fly.
Calitri used his defense to help him out of the one inning Bowling Green truly posed a threat to score, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fourth with no outs. Following a pitching visit, the Collierville, Tenn. native induced a ground ball to third baseman Peyton Mills, who made a perfect throw home for the force out.
On a 1-1 count, the junior forced a fly ball by the next Bowling Green batter to center fielder Nicho Jordan. Camped under the relatively shallow fly, Jordan got a great start on his throw to Gilliland, sending a perfect one-hopper to the plate to nab the Falcon base runner trying to score for an inning-ending double play.
Right-hander Hunter Mann took over on the hill in the sixth inning, working around a walk to the first batter of the frame to record three straight outs. The junior continued to pitch effectively the rest of the way, finishing the next three innings to pick up a save and secure the victory for Calitri. Mann struck out four batters while allowing just one hit.
Mill led all batters in the contest with a pair of hits, including Tech's first triple of the year. The 1-0 shutout by the Golden Eagles marked the team's first 1-0 win since defeating Ohio Valley Conference foe SIUE by the same score back on Mar. 28, 2013.
Game two of the series with Bowling Green is set for a 2:00 p.m. CT first pitch Saturday afternoon at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
