University of Tennessee Athletics
Baseball Suffers 9-7 Setback at Tenn. Tech
April 01, 2008 | Baseball
Box Score??|??Box Score (PDF)????
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. ??? The Tennessee baseball team ran into a hot-hitting Tennessee Tech squad Tuesday, and the Volunteers were unable to silence the Golden Eagles bats as Tech posted a 9-7 win at Quillen Field-Bush Stadium. The Vols fell to 16-10 as Tennessee Tech won its sixth straight.
Tennessee led until the Golden Eagles (20-7-1) surged ahead with four runs during a three-hit sixth inning in which it sent eight men to the plate and three UT relievers saw action. Sophomore Bryan Powell took the loss for Tennessee to fall to 0-1 on the year.
Tech reliever Thomas Gray improved to 3-1 with the win after limiting UT to two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts through 5 1/3 innings. The Vols put the potential go-ahead run on base in the ninth, but Eagles senior Matt Kearney closed the door to log his first save of the season. The Eagles out-hit the Vols 15-10.
Tennessee first baseman Yan Gomes delivered an RBI single in the top of the first inning to open the game???s scoring Tuesday. Leadoff hitter P.J. Polk scored on the play after reaching on a single of his own, taking second on an infield throwing error and advancing to third on a passed ball.
Gomes was driven in on an RBI basehit by senior left fielder Shawn Griffin later in the top of the first, and Griffin later scored from third to put the Vols up by a score of 3-0 when UT second baseman Andy Simunic intentionally put himself in a rundown between first and second base.
Tech responded with one run on three hits in the bottom of the first. The Golden Eagles first run came as Jake New scored on an RBI basehit off the bat of designated hitter A.J. Kirby-Jones.
Vols shortstop Cody Grisham laid down a beautiful bunt single down the third-base line to give UT runners on the corners with one out in the top of the second, and a passed ball charged to Eagles catcher Brandon Crossman???his third in less than two full innings???later enabled Tennessee right fielder Josh Liles to score from third to make the score 4-1 in favor of the Big Orange.
Tennessee Tech shortstop Thomas Nelson belted an RBI double in the bottom of the second, trimming UT???s lead to two runs. And the Eagles extended their second-inning rally when New drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Tech cleanup hitter Chris King. But Vols starting pitcher Jeff Lockwood induced an inning-ending fielder???s choice to keep his team???s two-run lead intact.
Just as Gomes dug in to lead off the top of the third inning, the lights at Quillen Field-Bush Stadium suddenly went out. Artificial illumination was eventually restored however, and play resumed after a 17-minute delay.
Eagles outfielder Alex Henry made it a one-run game with an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth after Tech loaded the bases with no outs. But that was all Lockwood would allow in the frame, as he worked himself out of the jam by extinguishing the lead runner on a fielder???s choice and inducing a harmless flyball.
Simunic scored on a wacky play in the top of the sixth to give the Volunteers a 5-3 lead. After reaching on a basehit, the senior from Collierville, Tenn., successfully stole second base. A throwing error by Crossman on the play, however, enabled Simunic to take third base. And when New misplayed the ball that ended up in centerfield, Simunic continued home to put the Vols up by two.
Eagles first baseman Chris King plated Nelson with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to once again help Tech pull to within one run, 5-4. Later in the bottom of the sixth, Vols reliever Bryan Powell found himself in hot water, as the Eagles loaded the bases with one out.
Tennessee then called junior Ryne Simpson to the mound to face Evan Webb, but Simpson???s first offering was a wild pitch that enabled the tying run to cross. A few pitches later, Webb belted a two-run double that gave Tennessee Tech its first lead, 7-5. Simpson was then lifted in favor of junior left-hander Joey Rosas???UT???s fifth pitcher of the game.
The Vols loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh when Tech head coach Matt Bragga called Kirby-Jones to the mound to face Gomes. Kirby-Jones got Gomes to fly before getting UT third baseman Cody Brown to line out to the shortstop to end the inning.
Nelson logged his third RBI of the night in the seventh inning, producing another double to extend Tech???s lead to three runs. And King followed later in the inning with an RBI single to push the score to 9-5.
Tennessee loaded the bases in the top of the ninth after pinch hitters Alan Wright and Jarred Frazier keyed a late rally with a single and a walk, respectively. Griffin then smacked a two-run double to left, chasing Tech reliever Ryan Dennick from the mound as Kearney came on to pitch.
Kearney quickly issued a walk to Simunic, but the right-hander then got pinch hitter Tanner Moore to look at strike three to end the game.
Lockwood???s first start of the season lasted four full innings, during which he allowed three runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Tennessee senior Zane Stone was the first man out of the Vols bullpen, and the Chattanooga, Tenn., native worked a single shutout inning, recording one strikeout.
Rosas and junior left-hander D.J. Leffler combined to pitch the final 2 2/3 innings for Tennessee.
Tuesday???s game marked the only scheduled regular-season meeting between the Vols and Eagles this year, and UT now leads the all-time series 64-28-1.
Tennessee returns to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it hosts 18th-ranked Charlotte (21-3, 6-0 Atlantic 10) at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Junior right-hander Ty???Relle Harris (2-0, 1.93 ERA) will start on the mound for UT, while Charlotte sends senior right-hander B.J. Hagen (0-0, 4.08 ERA) to the hill.
