Golden Eagles complete season sweep of Lipscomb with 15-5, run-rule win in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A strong start and a surge in the middle innings helped lead to an early ending for the Tennessee Tech baseball team as the Golden Eagles downed Lipscomb 15-5 in a run-rule, seven-inning win, Tuesday afternoon in Music City.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 0 |
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1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Athletics Media Relations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A strong start and a surge in the middle innings helped lead to an early ending for the Tennessee Tech baseball team as the Golden Eagles downed Lipscomb 15-5 in a run-rule, seven-inning win, Tuesday afternoon in Music City.
Tech's final non-conference contest of the year saw the Golden Eagles score six in the first inning, six more in the fifth and three in the sixth en route to a midweek season-high 15 runs. Tech's triumph also completed a season sweep of the Bisons after the purple and gold took down Lipscomb in the first midweek game of the year in a 7-5 victory in TTU's home opener on Feb. 17.
Eight of the nine Golden Eagles in the starting lineup notched a hit, while every starer scored a run.
Tech's top of the order did a brunt of the damage behind multi-hit performances from the top four spots in the lineup. Landon Smelser, Jorsixt Jimenez, Owen Lee and Eddie Garza all picked up two hits. Smelser and Lee reached base three times thanks to a walk as well, while Jimenez was on-base in four-of-five plate appearances with a walk and a hit- by-pitch to go along with his pair of knocks.
The bottom of the order played its part as well with the last two slots of Cade Fuller and Luke Bragga combining to reach base six times and score four runs. Fuller also tallied a pair of RBIs in the win after delivering a two-run single in Tech's six-run first.
Owen Lee and Eddie Garza each drove in runs with singles in the opening inning to go along with a Ty Denton bases loaded hit by pitch and a Landon Smelser RBI fielder's choice to help give the Golden Eagles a 6-0 lead before the Bisons even batted.
Two Lipscomb errors, bases loaded walks by Smelser and Jimenez, and a Lee sacrifice fly accounted for Tech's six runs in the fifth inning.
The Golden Eagles tacked on three more in the sixth with Smelser and Jimenez once again smack dab in the middle of the action. The Tech duo drilled back-to-back RBI singles before Smelser scored on a passed ball to give the Golden Eagles their 10-run cushion on the way to the win after seven.
Only three Tech arms were needed to get the job done on the mound. Braxton Lewis collected his first career win behind a career-best 4.2 innings of work. The Knoxville native held the Bisons to three runs on four hits. Lewis did not walk a batter and struck out two over just 48 pitches to pick up the decision.
Carson Davis started the game, going 1.1 IP with two runs allowed and three strikeouts. Lawson Stricklin finished things out with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
With non-conference action now in the rearview mirror, the Golden Eagles will set their sights on OVC play the rest of the way, starting with a three-game series at Southern Indiana, May 1-3. Friday's series opener in Evansville is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.
Photo: Jim Dillon
