Ninth-inning rally falls short, USI tops Tech to even series
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – An eyebrow-raising rally in the top of the ninth inning wasn’t enough for the Tennessee Tech baseball team to finish its comeback bid Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles at the hands of Southern Indiana, 8-6.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | X | 8 | 13 | 0 |
By Mike Lehman
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – An eyebrow-raising rally in the top of the ninth inning wasn't enough for the Tennessee Tech baseball team to finish its comeback bid Saturday evening, as the Golden Eagles at the hands of Southern Indiana, 8-6.
It was a pitcher's duel early on in Evansville, with the Screaming Eagles clinging to a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth frame of action. The home squad took advantage of a defensive mistake by the purple and gold in the bottom of the fifth, plating a pair of unearned runs.
USI continued to lay it on in the sixth, scoring twice more before plating three in the bottom of the eighth for a seemingly safe 8-0 lead. With just three outs to play, Tech looked to get a spark going and found it, striking for six runs on four hits.
First baseman Nash Crowell got the party started, singling up the middle to lead off the frame. Catcher Manny Garza was plunked on a 1-2 offering before twin brother and second baseman Eddie Garza loaded the bags by working a six-pitch walk.
With a groundout to first, third baseman Connor Crowson drove in the first Golden Eagle run of the game, setting up Tyler Bennett for a big swing on the next pitch. The Tech designated hitter deposited the first pitch he saw into left field, driving in the Garza boys to cut the deficit to 8-3.
A single through the left side off the bat of left fielder Jackson Rooker prompted a USI pitching change, resulting in the second out of the frame with a strikeout. The stakes didn't deter Tech's biggest bat from continuing his career campaign, as Jorsixt Jimenez gave the Golden Eagles one last shot.
The right fielder belted an 0-1 offering, launching a three-run blast to pull the Cookeville crew to within a run at 8-6. Southern Indiana gathered a final ground out to pull out the victory and even the Ohio Valley Conference series at 1-1.
With his 18th long ball of the season, Jimenez moved into a tie for 10th on Tech's single-season list and into a tie for 17th on the career charts with 24 in his Golden Eagle tenure. His 64 RBIs on the season rank tied for 14th in Tech single-season history.
Bennett led the purple and gold in the contest with a 3-for-4 night while Jimenez chipped in a pair of knocks.
The rubber match of the weekend series is tabbed for a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday afternoon at USI Baseball Field.
Photo by Eric Reynolds, USI Athletic Communications
