TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Tennessee Tech 19, North Alabama 7
@Kentucky 7,
Morehead State 5
#1 Vanderbilt 13,
Belmont 4 (First Tennessee Park)
TENNESSEE TECH 19, NORTH ALABAMA 7
COOKEVILLE,
Tenn. - It was a historic day at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex Tuesday evening, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team used a whopping 10 home runs to rally for a 19-7 victory over North Alabama.
For just the second time in program history, the Golden Eagles turned in double figures in the home-run column, falling just one short of the school record of 11 set back on Feb. 24 in a 30-17 victory over Illinois State. Eight of Tech's nine position players circled the bases at least once in the contest, while eight of the Golden Eagle dingers were of the solo variety.
The visiting Lions certainly held the momentum and confidence early on the night, taking a 3-0 lead in the first and plating two more for a 5-0 advantage in the third. UNA starter Austin Nichols seemed to be cruising early, holding the purple and gold without a hit over the opening two frames.
With two quick outs in the bottom of the third, Tech shortstop Ed Johnson finally broke the Golden Eagles through, smashing a solo shot to left-center field for the team's first hit and run. It marked his sixth of the year.
While it represented the only run of the frame for the Cookeville crew, it was just a sign of things to come. After holding North Alabama scoreless in the top of the fourth, Tech erupted in the bottom half.
Left fielder Jason Hinchman kicked things off by crushing the first pitch of the inning to left-center field for his seventh long ball of the year. It also marked the 51st of his career, tying him for third in program history with A.J. Kirby-Jones.
First baseman Golston Gillespie made it back-to-back jacks two pitches later, pulverizing his fourth moon shot of the season down the right-field line to cut the deficit to two. After a quick out, designated hitter John Dyer fought of four consecutive foul balls before blasting a solo bomb of his own to left field.
Far from finished, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with a pair of base hits and a hit-by-pitch, setting up Johnson for another scoring chance. Rather than force anything, the junior patiently drew a walk after falling behind in the count 0-2, tying the contest at 5-5.
The free base passed the aluminum to third baseman Gabe Lacy, who made his opportunity count. With the Lions turning to a new hurler on the mound, Lacy went into full ambush mode, belting a grand slam down the left-field line. It marked his fourth of the year and second slam of the season.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tech added to its new, 9-5 advantage, with yet another leadoff batter starting the damage. Right fielder Ryan Guardino uncorked a hefty swing on a 2-2 count for a solo tank to start the frame. After another pitching change, Dyer gave the Golden Eagles back-to-back blasts for the second time on the night, pounding his second round-tripper of the game and fifth of the year to right field.
The Lions tried to create an answer, plating single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Tech bats were far from finished. In the bottom of the seventh, catcher Will Long provided the team's third leadoff nuke, crushing a laser over the fence in right-center field for his second bomb of the season. Two batters later, center fielder Austin Turner became the eighth Golden Eagle to circle the bags, destroying a 2-1 pitch to right-center field for his second dinger on the year.
Guardino collected his second light show of the evening in the eighth, a two-run missile to center field that gave him five this season. It also represented the 10th of the game for the Golden Eagles. Tech loaded the bases with a single, hit-by-pitch, and walk, setting up Turner with a chance to do more damage.
The nine-hole hitter was patient, working a full count before drawing a free pass for another RBI. Johnson followed with a two-run single to left field, the team's first, RBI-producing hit of the night that didn't leave the ballpark. Lacy sent a long fly ball down the left-field line, driving in one more for good measure.
All nine Golden Eagle batters secured at least one hit and one run scored while eight drove in at least one run. Lacy led the way with five ribbies while Johnson drove in four on three hits. Dyer also turned in three hits while five more Tech players posted two each. Turner, Long, and Dyer all scored three times, with four more denting the dish twice.
Daniel Holley picked up his first win of the year out of the bullpen, tossing one and one-third frames with a strikeout and just two baserunners allowed.
KENTUCKY 7, MOREHEAD STATE 5
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A three-run first-inning outburst and ninth-inning rally too gave the Morehead State baseball team hope Tuesday night at Kentucky, but unfortunately that effort came up just short in a 7-5 defeat at Kentucky Proud Park.
Morehead State (7-13) faltered for the fifth straight game and will look to right the ship this weekend when OVC play begins at home versus Murray State. The home team moved to 15-7, halting a four-game skid itself.
Ryley Preece and Jackson Feltner each singled to lead off the game in the first. After a successful Roman Kuntz sac bunt, Alex Jacobs moved his reached-base streak to 18 games and his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-RBI single.
Jacobs advanced to second on a ground out and scored when Chase Vinson roped a single to right field to make it 3-0.
But, the Wildcats got two runs back in the bottom of the first and took the lead on a two-run single in the third inning. UK added single tallies in the fourth, sixth and seventh frames.
In the ninth, the Eagles put together a rally of their own. Colton Becker and Ashton Roy led off the frame with back-to-back hits (Becker's a double) inside the bag at third as Becker came around to score on Roy's single. Feltner then smacked his second hit to left field to score Roy.
Wyatt Hudepohl tossed 3.2 inning for UK to pick up the victory, allowing just one hit and striking out four.
Trevor Callahan started and surrendered five earned runs in 3.0 inning pitched and fell to 0-2. The Eagles pitching staff did strikeout 12 UK hitters with Callahan, Grant Herron and Jarrett Miller all recording three whiffs.
Roy collected three hits for the Eagles, who finished with 12 safeties. Preece had two hits as did Feltner.
#1 VANDERBILT 13, BELMONT 4
NASHVILLE - A ten-run fifth inning doomed the Belmont University baseball team on Tuesday in their bid to upset No. 1 Vanderbilt, as the Bruins fell, 13-4, in a neutral site contest at First Horizon Park.
Belmont (14-8) led the Commodores 3-1 midway through the fourth inning, but Vanderbilt (18-2) tied the game 3-3 in the fourth and blew it wide open with a ten-run fifth inning that saw 14 batters come to the plate.
The Bruins used ten pitchers in the game, and in all, 26 Belmont players and 22 Vanderbilt players appeared in the game, with a parade of pinch-hitters and defensive replacements getting playing time in the final few innings.
Vanderbilt struck first in the first inning with an RBI single to go up 1-0. The Commodores then threatened in the second inning, loading the bases and forcing the exodus of Belmont starter Jordan Zuger, but Ethan Harden got a groundball double play that was turned by Jack Capobianco, Jack Rando, and Brodey Heaton to end the inning and keep the score at 1-0.
Belmont responded in the top of the third inning with a single from Carson Shacklett before Brodey Heaton doubled to center field to drive in Shacklett, who raced home from first base to score the tying run.
The Bruins took their only lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning, snatching momentum when Jackson Campbell led off with a single before advancing to second on a Vanderbilt throwing error. Tommy Crider then doubled to left field to drive in Campbell and give Belmont a 2-1 lead.
After John Behrends singled to left field, Jack Rando delivered a sacrifice fly to right field that was deep enough to score Crider from third base and give the Bruins a 3-1 lead.
However, the Commodores would quickly answer in the home half of the fourth inning with two runs to tie, bringing the game even at 3-3.
Lane Lamberth was able to get a quick groundout to start the fifth inning, and appeared primed to get his second out when a groundball was hit to third. However, Logan Jarvis had trouble handling it, allowing the Commodore batter to reach, and was tagged with one of three Bruin errors on the day.
The very next batter, Carter Young, proceeded to hit a two-run home run, and Vanderbilt would not look back. Eight straight Vanderbilt batters came to the plate before a second out in the fifth inning was recorded, with 14 Commodores in all coming to the dish to face three different Bruin pitchers in the frame.
When the dust cleared, Vanderbilt had brought across ten runs in the fifth inning to take a 13-3 lead.
Aside from an RBI groundout from Jack Capobianco in the ninth inning, no more runs would come across, as Vanderbilt cruised the rest of the way to the win, their third straight in the all-time series against Belmont.
Will Jenkins, Kyle Brennan, Caleb Guisewite, and Carter Park all recorded outs in relief for Belmont without giving up any runs.