By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Nearly 24 hours following the first pitch, the Tennessee Tech baseball team finally wrapped up its Ohio Valley Conference series-opening victory over UT Martin Saturday, securing a 1-1 split during the day at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
With the first contest of the series suspended in the seventh inning Friday evening due to heavy rain and lightning in the Cookeville area, Tech (12-25, 3-8) completed what would finish as a 13-7 victory over the Skyhawks (13-27, 7-7). UT Martin responded in the second contest of the series, defeating the purple and gold 16-2.
On Friday, the visitors from Martin jumped out to a quick, 3-0 lead, securing three runs on three hits in the opening frame. A clean inning for the Skyhawks in the bottom half looked like it could be a long day for the purple and gold.
Tech fought back in the second, however, picking up its first run on an RBI single through the side off the bat of center fielder Nicho Jordan. It proved to be just a small taste of an eventual offensive onslaught waiting to explode in the third.
After Golden Eagle hurler Hunter Mann worked his second straight scoreless frame, the purple and gold flipped a switch with the bats and never looked back. An error to start the third by the Skyhawks led to a tough stretch for the visitors, as catcher Hayden Gilliland reached safely to kick off the inning.
Third baseman Peyton Mills made Martin pay, working a full count before smashing a two-run home run to left field to tie the game at 3-3. It marked the senior's team-leading 13th long ball of the season.
Back-to-back walks to first baseman John Dyer and designated hitter Will Long gave Tech some ammunition and Golden Eagle left fielder Preston Ford delivered. The slugger crushed the first pitch he saw to center field, clearing the fence for a three-run blast and 6-3 Tech lead.
After one out, second baseman Eddie Garza continued the offense train, putting a charge into a 1-2 pitch for a solo jack to left-center field. Jordan followed by peppering a base knock through the right side.
Shortstop Troy Baunsgard brought Tech to within a single bomb of the program's single-inning record, uncorking a two-run round-tripper down the left-field line for the team's fourth dinger of the frame. With the junior's sixth bomb of the year, Tech led 9-3. Two batters and one out later, Mills was plunked by a pitch before lightning was detected in the area.
Rain and lightning forced a two-hour and 34-minute delay in action before the two sides returned to the diamond to complete the third frame. Tech added a run in the fourth thanks to another RBI single by Jordan before the Skyhawks finally responded with a pair in the fifth.
Leading 10-5, the Golden Eagles followed with two runs of their own in the bottom half, with one scoring on a double play ball. Mills scored later in the frame on a wild pitch to push the lead back out to seven at 12-5.
UT Martin plated one more in the sixth before the two sides traded zeroes. In the bottom of the seventh, Tech put a runner on first with two outs before the skies opened up once again with lightning returning to the area. Due to the heavy rain and lightning, play was suspended until 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Returning to action, Tech scored once more in the eighth thanks to a bases-loaded, RBI walk by Long. The Golden Eagles finished off their 13-7 victory with 16 hits as a unit, led by three each from Ford and Jordan.
In game two, the purple and gold took the early 1-0 lead in the first, scoring on a fielder's choice by Long. The Skyhawks fought back, hitting a tying home run in the second and scoring three more times in the third.
A two-run jack in the fifth made it a 6-1 ball game for the visitors, but Dyer gave the purple and gold one more breath of life in the bottom half. The slugger blasted a solo shot to right-center field, his 11th of the season and 35th of his career.
The round-tripper moved Dyer into sole possession of seventh on Tech's all-time career home run charts, breaking a tie with Brandon Thomasson. He now sits just two back of tying Ryan Flick for sixth with 37 career dingers.
The Skyhawk offense was unrelenting over the final three frames, accounting for a three-spot in the seventh and eighth and four more runs in the ninth.
The rubber match between the Golden Eagles and Skyhawks is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start Sunday afternoon at Quillen Field.
Photo by Jim Dillon
