WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
#20 Tennessee Tech 7, Tennessee 6
Eastern Kentucky 12, @Xavier 8
@Eastern Illinois 15, Robert Morris (Ill.) 6
@Western Illinois 8,
SIUE 2
@#13 Kentucky 7,
Morehead State 1
#20 TENNESSEE TECH 7, TENNESSEE 6
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A thrilling battle to the very end, the Tennessee Tech baseball team came out victorious over in-state foe Tennessee Wednesday evening, extending the nation's longest winning streak to 26 games with a 7-6 victory at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Golden Eagles (35-5) took the lead and never looked back, using clutch at bats and timely pitching and defense to defeat the Volunteers (24-19) for the first time since 2012 and just 10th time in Knoxville.
Junior Nick Osborne was a one-man wrecking crew on the night, finishing a whopping 5-for-5 with a pair of home runs, four RBI and three runs scored. Leading late, Tech turned to junior closer Ethan Roberts for the final two and two thirds innings. The Sparta native picked up his 10th save of the season to clinch the Golden Eagle victory.
Tech plated the first run of the contest in the top of the second, putting together a two-out rally with three straight singles from Osborne, Brennon Kaleiwahea and Collin Harris. It was the left fielder, Harris, that earned the RBI, ripping a base knock through the right side to drive in Osborne.
A scary moment in the second inning seemed to pull the Tech squad together and invoke a renewed vigor amongst the players. After completing a scoreless first inning, sophomore hurler Nic Dye took to the hill for the second frame, tossing two pitches to the leadoff batter, Brodie Leftridge, before being removed from the contest due to an undisclosed injury.
Senior reliever Colton Provey warmed up quickly to take over for the Golden Eagles, pitching around a double and two walks to keep the Golden Eagle lead intact. In the fourth, Osborne put the Tech offense on his back, making it a 3-0 lead after hammering a two-run blast to left field on the second pitch he saw.
The Vols answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, but Tech held strong. Returning the favor in the fifth, junior John Ham lifted an RBI double to right center field to drive in Kevin Strohschein for a 4-2 advantage.
Two batters later, Osborne struck again. A native of Sevierville, just 30 minutes northwest of the UT campus, the right fielder uncorked on a 1-2 offering for his second two-run long ball of the contest to open up a 6-2 lead. It represented his eighth dinger of the season.
Again, Tennessee responded on the scoreboard with a pair of runs, but the Tech pitching staff would delay any further damage until later in the contest. An insurance run in the top of the sixth courtesy of senior Chase Chambers made it a 7-4 contest heading into the bottom of the seventh inning after Seth Noeltossed a scoreless sixth.
Noel would record the first out following the seventh-inning stretch before walking the next batter and prompting head coach Matt Bragga to make the call to the bullpen for Roberts. In a shocking turn of events, the right-hander had barely set foot on the mound before Vols center fielder Zach Daniels took a chunk out of the Tech lead.
Having subbed in in the fourth inning on defense, Daniels took the first pitch by Roberts deep to right field for a stunning two-run home run that clipped the Tech advantage to one run.
Never fazed, however, the all-time saves leader in Golden Eagle history calmly went about his business, forcing a ground ball for the second out of the frame and striking out Nico Mascia for the third.
Roberts worked three-up and three-down in the eighth, inducing a ground ball to second base, pop up to shortstop and fly ball to center field. A leadoff ground out to third kicked off the ninth, with the junior in complete command of the zone.
And then, an inside pitch just barely clipped Andre Lipcius, putting the tying run on first with still two outs to go. Roberts again paid no mind to the pressure, staying in the moment to force a fly ball out to Alex Junior in center field. He finalized the Tech victory with four more pitches, striking out Zach Daniels for his 25th career save.
Roberts became the first Golden Eagle pitcher ever to earn saves in over both Tennessee and Vanderbilt in their career.
The victory marked the 26th in-a-row for the Golden Eagles, extending their program and Ohio Valley Conference records, as well as the longest streak in the nation.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 12, XAVIER 8
CINCINNATI - Alex Holderbach hit a school record four home runs and drove in eight runs as the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team defeated Xavier University, 12-8, on Wednesday.
In five trips to the plate, Holderbach hit four home runs and walked once. He hit a two-run dinger in the first inning, walked in the fourth, hit another two-run shot in the fifth, launched a three-run bomb in the seventh and finished off the game with a solo homer in the ninth.
Holderbach broke the program record of three which has been done on eight occasions by five different players. The junior catcher from Fairfield, Ohio finished 4-for-4 with five runs scored and eight RBIs.
In the top of the first the Colonels struck first when Holderbach hit home run number one to bring in Will Johnson for a 2-0 lead. Xavier responded with a run of its own when Chris Given scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the inning.
In the fourth, Brandon Dehass drove a 2-0 pitch to right center for an RBI double that brought in Holderbach. Chris Botsoe also scored on an error by the center fielder. Dehass scored on a wild pitch later in the inning for a 5-1 Eastern advantage.
In the top half of the fifth inning Holderbach delivered a 3-1 pitch to left center for home run number two on the day. That brought in Ryland Kerr and pushed the Colonel lead to 7-1.
Chris Botsoe sent his fifth home run of the year over the right field wall in top of the sixth.
In the eighth inning, EKU (22-20, 12-6 OVC) got the three-run home run by Holderbach to go in front 11-2 and pull away from the Musketeers.
Matt Warkentin started the scoring in a five-run bottom of the eighth for Xavier with an RBI single to left field to bring home Blaine Griffiths. Given cut into the EKU lead even more with a grand slam to left field to make the score 11-7 heading to the top of the ninth.
That is when Holderbach delivered his fourth home run of the game, as he sent a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to take a 12-7 lead.
Botsoe went 4-for-5 with one home run and two runs scored. Johnson pitched in a 2-for-4 effort with two runs as well. Kaven Brown (3-2) tossed six innings, struck out six batters while only allowing one run.
Given went 3-for-5, with four RBIs, and two runs scored.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 15, ROBERT MORRIS (ILL.) 6
CHARLSTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first three innings Wednesday afternoon as the Panthers cruised to their second midweek win at home with a 15-6 victory over Robert Morris Peoria.
EIU hit seven home runs and scored 14 runs on Tuesday in a win over Saint Louis. On Wednesday that offensive fire power continued in the early innings as EIU scored two in the first, five in the second and eight in the third against three Robert Morris pitchers.
Hunter Morris started what would be a big day for the redshirt junior with a two-run single to right center that scored Dougie Parks and Joe Duncan.
In the second inning Morris came up with the bases loaded and delivered a grand slam for his ninth home run of the season putting the Panthers up 7-0. Parks had an RBI single earlier in the frame.
Hunter Beetley opened the third inning with a home run before EIU took advantage of five wild pitches and four walks to add to the lead. Jimmy Huber had an RBI double and Andrew Curran drove in two more runs with a single to left.
On the mound Blake Malatestinic allowed one hit in three innings of work in a pre-determined start to pick up his first win of the season improving to 1-3. EIU would close out the game with four relief pitchers.
Robert Morris scored two runs in the fourth with home runs by Brandon Crose and Ryan Slusher. Crose would drive in two more runs for the Eagles with a single up the middle in the fifth. Crose, Paxton Batson and Joe Culbertson all finished with two hits for RMU.
Morris was 3-for-3 to lead EIU at the plate as he was the only EIU player with multiple hits in the game. The Panthers had 15 position players see time during the game with multiple line-up changes in the fourth.
The Panthers improved to 15-25 overall and will host Morehead State in an OVC series this weekend at home.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 8, SIUE 2
MACOMB, Ill. - The SIUE baseball team fell 8-2 in a midweek clash against Western Illinois Wednesday.
The Leathernecks (10-22) limited the Cougars (10-29) to just five hits on the night. Jack Carberry (1-0) recorded the win for WIU while Brett Taucher (1-1) picked up the loss for SIUE.
Western Illinois got things rolling early when Bailey Montgomery scored off an error by the Cougars in the 1st inning.
Taucher pitched just two complete inning for the Cougars and gave up only one run on two hits while striking out three Leatherneck batters.
Western Illinois then piled on four runs in the third inning.
Montgomery scored his second run of the night for the Leathernecks after Steve McShane was hit by pitch with the bases loaded. CJ Schaeffer and Alex Dorethy scored when Drue Galassi singled to right. Dillon Sears then reached first on a fielder's choice sending McShane home for the fourth run of the inning.
All four runs in the third were credited to SIUE's A.J. Johnson who came in for relief of Taucher.
The Cougars then gave up two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth inning.
SIUE bats started heating up in the ninth inning. With two outs, Jordan Ross singled to right field, bringing home both Aaron Goecks and Aaron Jackson for the lone Cougar runs of the night.
#13 KENTUCKY 7, MOREHEAD STATE 1
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Facing its second nationally ranked in-state opponent of the season, Morehead State baseball (25-17, 12-6 Ohio Valley Conference) fell at the hands of No. 13 Kentucky (26-14, 8-10 Southeastern Conference) by a 7-1 final on Wednesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Morehead State left nine runners on base over the course of the game, leaving behind one or more in all but two innings. Bryce Hensor, Braxton Morris, Reid Leonard, and Tyler Niemann each recorded a hit, while junior dual-threat Connor Pauly was the only Eagle to log two.
Morehead State's lone run came in the eighth inning, when Eli Boggess' sacrifice fly allowed Morris to score. Leonard also provided some solace for the Eagles' offensive struggles, reaching base for the 34th consecutive contest. The streak ties another set by Morris for Morehead State's longest of the season.
The Eagles' defense held the Wildcats within reach for most of the game, even grounding in two double-plays and throwing out three would-be base stealers at second. However, a rotating cast of eight different pitchers combined for nine walks from the mound. Junior right-hander Garret Rogers pitched a team-high 2.2 innings and received his first loss of the season.