By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A strong offensive start and a great showing by the pitching staff led the Tennessee Tech baseball team to a 13-2 victory over Queens University of Charlotte Sunday afternoon at Tuckaseegee Fields, as the Golden Eagles clinched the weekend series with their second straight win.
Tech (5-6) went to work right out of the gates, with center fielder Jackson Green leading off the contest with a double to right field. Four pitches later, designated hitter Hayden Gilliland made it an early 2-0 lead, blasting a two-run shot to right field for his third home run of the year.
Queens (3-8) gathered a pair of ground outs, looking to close the frame without further damage, but the Golden Eagles weren't having it. Third baseman Peyton Mills watched four pitches miss the mark for a free pass, setting up shortstop Troy Baunsgard for some fireworks. The junior righty crushed a 3-1 offering down the left-field line, doubling the Tech lead with his third dinger of the season.
The purple and gold added to the lead in the second, with right fielder Theo Bryant IV sending a sacrifice fly to right-center field for a 5-0 advantage. The Royals attempted a comeback bid in the second, picking up a pair on a long ball, but Tech hurler Tyler Zarella locked things down from there.
The senior right-hander held Queens to just the two runs on five hits while completing five frames for his second win of the week. He struck out a pair without issuing a walk as well.
The two sides traded zeroes on the scoreboard in the third, only delaying the Golden Eagles from extending its lead to new territory. In the fourth, the purple and gold turned in a two-out rally, with Bryant getting plunked on the second pitch he saw.
Second baseman Eddie Garza followed with a double to right field two pitches later, plating Bryant all the way from first. Facing a 1-1 count, Mills continued the onslaught by the Cookeville crew, hammering a two-run blast to left-center field for his third round-tripper of the year for an 8-2 lead.
The Golden Eagles didn't stop there, pushing the pedal to the floor in the fifth to put things away for good. Left fielder Austin Turner drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the frame and moved to third on a base knock off the bat of Green.
After Green stole second, Gilliland plated Tuner with an RBI ground out to second base. Bryant reached on a four-pitch free pass and also stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch that also plated Green. Up 10-0, Garza patiently drew a six-pitch walk to put a pair on.
Mills took his turn in the box and, after watching a strike, connected for a massive, three-run jack to left-center field. The smash marked his second of the game and team-leading fourth of the year while pushing the Golden Eagle lead out to 13-2.
The pitching staffs took over the remainder of the contest, with the Golden Eagles limiting the Royals to just two hits after the fifth and Queens holding Tech to two knocks.
Taking over on the hill for the purple and gold in the sixth, freshman Reece McDuffie turned in pair of solid innings, allowing just the two hits and a walk while striking out three. The Royals threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with no outs after rookie Josh Beasley walked one and hit a pair of batters.
Tech head coach Matt Bragga went back to his bullpen, turning things over to right-hander Jacob Morin. The redshirt junior was spectacular, striking out the side to keep Queens off the board. Back out in the ninth, Morin fanned the first two he saw before inducing a game-ending, first-pitch ground out to second base. He finished with five Ks on the day while going six-up, six-down.
Mills led the Tech effort with five RBI and three runs scored with a pair of bombs. Gilliland tacked on three RBI on a pair of hits while Green, Baunsgard, and Dyer also tacked on two knocks each. As a team, the Golden Eagles drew a whopping 13 walks while the pitching staff issued just two all game.
The Golden Eagles wrap up their current, four-game road swing with a clash at No. 7 nationally-ranked Vanderbilt Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. CT in Nashville.
Photo courtesy of Austin Slough, Queens Athletics
