Casabella goes complete game, bats sing in Tech's blowout win at USI
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Brilliant pitching and a complete team effort at the plate were plenty powerful enough to propel the purple and gold of the Tennessee Tech baseball team past Southern Indiana Friday evening, 13-3. The Golden Eagles silenced the Screaming Eagles in their Ohio Valley Conference series opener, shortened to just seven innings due to the league’s run rule.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
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4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
By Mike Lehman
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Brilliant pitching and a complete team effort at the plate were plenty powerful enough to propel the purple and gold of the Tennessee Tech baseball team past Southern Indiana Friday evening, 13-3. The Golden Eagles silenced the Screaming Eagles in their Ohio Valley Conference series opener, shortened to just seven innings due to the league's run rule.
Toeing the rubber for the Cookeville crew with his longest performance of the season, sophomore Carter Casabella locked down a quality start and complete game with seven frames of five-hit ball. The right-hander scattered five hits and two walks while spreading out three single runs throughout a monster start on the hill for the purple and gold.
The Golden Eagle offense backed its ace before he even took the mound, sporting Casabella a 4-0 lead after the first frame for his second win of the season. Tech went on to plate multiple runs in each of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth frames, totaling 16 hits for the evening while making it back-to-back games with double figures on the scoreboard.
Tech applied the pressure, and the USI defense couldn't handle the heat in the opening stanza, as two errors allowed the first two runs of the contest to dent the dish. Third baseman Connor Crowson kept the team's foot down on the gas, lacing an RBI single down the right-field line before designated hitter Tyler Bennett doubled down with an RBI knock to left-center field.
Casabella set the tone early in the first, gathering a pair of punch outs to set down the side in order. He set down six straight to send the game to the third, where the Tech offense got back to work. Crowson doubled to left-center field to make it a 5-0 lead before Bennett followed his lead again with an RBI single to right field.
Right fielder Jorsixt Jimenez continued his brilliant campaign with a lead-off double down the left-field line to open the fourth, advancing to third on a fielding error and scoring on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, second baseman Eddie Garza landed an RBI hit to left-center field for an 8-0 Tech advantage.
Two more crossed home plate for the Golden Eagles in the fifth, with Jimenez scoring on another defensive mistake by USI. First baseman Nash Crowell made it an even 10-spot on the scoreboard with an RBI double to left field.
Centerfielder Landon Smelser drove in a run in the sixth, slashing a knock through the right side before Jimenez continued his big night with a two-run rip up the middle.
All nine members of the Golden Eagle lineup recorded at least one hit and scored at least one run on the evening, with seven Tech bats driving in at least one. Jimenez and Crowson each tallied three hits and a pair of RBIs in the contest, while Jimenez and shortstop Owen Lee each scored three runs.
With his pair of ribbies in the affair, Jimenez became just the 21st Golden Eagle in program history to record at least 60 RBIs in a season and first since Peyton Mills in 2023.
Game two of the weekend series is slated for a 4:00 p.m. CT first pitch Saturday afternoon at USI Baseball Field.
Photo by Ray Simmons, USI Athletic Communications
