By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A big seventh inning propelled the Tennessee Tech baseball team to an 11-9 victory over visiting Bowling Green Saturday afternoon, as the Golden Eagles clinched their season-opening series against the Falcons following Friday's 1-0 win.
It was all Bowling Green out of the gates, as the visitors from Ohio wasted little time in building a 5-0 run in the first inning. The Falcons plated four runs before recording their first out of the day, tallying four hits and a walk to do the early damage.
The purple and gold did provide an immediate response thanks to the bat of second baseman Eddie Garza. The redshirt freshman provided the first fireworks of the 2023 campaign for the Golden Eagles, blasting his first career home run down the right-field line to get a run back.
Rookie Brody Lanham took over on the hill for Tech to start the second inning and turned in a masterful performance. Over the next five innings, the Clarksville native allowed just a pair of base runners and struck out two, giving the Golden Eagles time to get a feel with the sticks.
Following a trio of scoreless frames from both sides, the Golden Eagle offense came to life again in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a two-out rally started by Hayden Gilliland. The designated hitter drew a seven-pitch walk and would score later in the frame. First baseman John Dyer singled to right field and a throwing error allowed Gilliland to cross home plate safely to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Tech trimmed another run off the Falcon lead in the sixth, this time using patience to load the bases. A trio of walks gave third baseman Peyton Mills the opportunity to send a long fly ball to left-center field for a sacrifice fly.
It was in the seventh inning that the Golden Eagle bats truly went to work, starting with a lead-off walk by Dyer. Two batters later, catcher Will Long made it a one-run game by ripping an RBI double down the left-field line. Left fielder Preston Ford gathered his first hit in the purple and gold to put a pair on the base paths, setting up a big inning to come.
Shortstop Troy Baunsgard got plunked on the second pitch he saw, loading the bases for center fielder Austin Turner. The junior followed suit by also getting hit by a Bowling Green offering. Turner drove in the tying run the hard way, but Tech was just getting started.
Garza hit a ground ball to second base, reaching on a fielder's choice and driving in one run. The attempted throw to second base for a force sailed into the outfield, allowing a second Golden Eagle run to dent the dish and flip the lead in favor of the home squad, 7-5.
Before the inning came to a close, Mills double down on the Tech advantage, peppering a double through the left side to drive in two more for a 9-5 lead. Bowling Green refused to go down without a fight, answering back in the eighth inning with a pair of runs.
Tech responded to the Falcons' right cross with an uppercut in the bottom half of the frame, this time off the bat Baunsgard. After Ford drew a two-out walk, Baunsgard crushed the first pitch he saw to left field, clearing the fence for his first round-tripper as a Golden Eagle. His dinger set the purple and gold back up with a four-run lead.
After a pair of quick outs, Bowling Green did make some noise in the ninth, gathering a single, a walk, and another single for an RBI. A second run score on the second hit as well, this one following a fielding error by the Golden Eagles.
Senior hurler Colt Taylor entered the contest to lock down the win, delivering a fly ball to right field on a 2-2 pitch for the final out of the day. Taylor picked up his first save of the season on just six pitches.
After tossing one and one-third frames out of the bullpen, Jacob Morin claimed the win on the hill for the Golden Eagles. The right-hander struck out three Falcons on the day while allowing a pair of runs and just one hit.
Mills paced the offense with three RBI while Baunsgard added a pair and three runs scored. Eight different Golden Eagles combined for the team's eight hits on the day while Gilliland drew a team-high three walks.
The third and final game of the series is slated for a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday afternoon at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
File photo by Emily Armstrong
