Strohschein's heroics, walk-off home run, lead Golden Eagles past Gamecocks, 7-6
Not one, but two mighty swings of the bat from true freshman Kevin Strohschein proved to be the difference-maker Saturday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team (20-13, 10-7) captured a thrilling, 7-6, walk-off victory over Jacksonville State (23-11, 12-2) to even the Ohio Valley Conference series at one game apiece.
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By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Not one, but two mighty swings of the bat from true freshman Kevin Strohschein proved to be the difference-maker Saturday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech baseball team (20-13, 10-7) captured a thrilling, 7-6, walk-off victory over Jacksonville State (23-11, 12-2) to even the Ohio Valley Conference series at one game apiece.
A pitcher's duel early on, the show belonged to the bats as the day progressed, particularly to the previous week's OVC co-Players of the Week, Strohschein and Jax State third baseman Josh Bobo.
With the Golden Eagles trailing, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning, Strohschein stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. Gamecock head coach Jim Case called a brief meeting with reliever Grant Chandler and catcher Hayden White, no doubt to caution them about the dangerous right-handed batter.
It didn't make a difference, as the rookie reared back and launched a three-run jack over the Quillen Field sign in left field, the youngster's seventh of the year, to give the Golden Eagles a 5-3 advantage and some much-needed life.
The momentum would become short-lived, however, as the visitors had an answer for the right fielder's heroics in the eighth. Tech reliever Ethan Roberts surrendered a leadoff walk to a pinch-hitting Joe McGuire, a tough break that saw three 50-50 pitches go the batter's way to finish the at bat.
Following a wild pitch that allowed McGuire to move up 90 feet, the freshman hurler rebounded nicely, fanning cleanup hitter Tyler Gamble on six pitches and then punching out Elliot McCummings with five offerings. Hayden White refused to go down as quietly.
The Gamecock catcher ripped a single to right field on the first pitch he saw, driving in McGuire from second and clipping the Golden Eagle lead to just a single run. That's when Bobo took over. On a 2-1 count, the red-hot junior got just enough of Roberts' next attempt, lifting the ball over the fence in left center field for a two-run shot and recapturing the 6-5 lead for Jacksonville State.
With the lead safely back in their grasp, the Gamecocks turned to arguably the best closer in the conference, a man that had yet to surrender an earned run in nearly 17 innings and 14 appearances on the year; Justin Hoyt. The southpaw made quick work to gather the first out, forcing a fly ball to right center field.
Golden Eagle head coach Matt Bragga took to the bench for his next batter, choosing to avoid a lefty-lefty match-up with redshirt freshman Alex Junior due up and instead go with the right-handed hitting Nick Osborne for the job. The freshman delivered, ripping an 0-1 pitch to right center field for a double. He then advanced to third on a wild offering, setting up Tech with a great opportunity to even the score.
Hoyt proved just why he was selected as the conference's preseason relief pitcher of the year, however, forcing a ground ball out to Tyler Brazelton before winning a brutal battle with Trevor Putzig. Pinch-hitting for another lefty, Jake Farr, the sophomore forced a seven pitch at bat before being set down on strikes to the end the inning.
Having already posted the final out of the eighth frame, redshirt junior reliever Kit Fowler returned to the hill for the ninth, making quick work of the Gamecocks with a 1-2-3 inning.
With the heart of the Tech order on the menu, Case brought in a defensive substitute in right field, junior Peyton Williams. The move looked brilliant initially, as on the fifth pitch of the first at bat, Matt Jones laced a single to right center field. At least it would have been if not for a miraculous diving effort from Williams to rob the base knock.
Just like that, the Golden Eagles were down to their final two outs. And then, a miscue on the infield changed everything. An at bat that saw junior Chris Brown foul off four pitches, the catcher finally barreled one up for a grounder slightly to the right of short.
Freshman Jordan Joseph had the ball squared up in his glove until the very last instant. Instead, the ball rolled right under the shortstop's mitt for what would turn out to be a costly error.
Still alive, Bragga turned to another right-handed batter to pinch-hit against Hoyt, senior Connor Goodspeed. Arguably the team's best at making something happen off the bench, the catcher just missed catching the sweet spot on the third pitch he saw, fouling out to fairly deep left field for the second out of the inning.
Then came the match-up that everyone in the ballpark (at least those wearing purple and gold) wanted to see. Right versus left. Best versus best. Hoyt versus Strohschein.
The redshirt sophomore offered first, but it missed low and outside for ball one. A swinging effort came up short for the freshman to even the count at 1-1. Another ball that just missed its mark on the corner took it to 2-1. And then, it happened.
With one fluid motion, Strohschein cued early on a hanging breaking ball and torched a two-run, walk-off blast to left center field to reestablish himself as the hero of the ball game. Before the rookie could even reach second base, the entire Tech dugout mobbed home plate, waiting for the happiest player in Bush Stadium to plant his foot on the plate for the winning run.
The long ball marked the right fielder's team-leading eighth of the year, and represented his first career multi-home run effort. Strohschein wrapped up the contest 3-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored.
Despite the mayhem, Brown represented the only other Tech batter with a multi-hit day, sporting two base knocks in five tries. Fowler earned his first career win in a Golden Eagle uniform after one and a third innings of perfect ball in which he allowed no base runners and struck out two.
Tech starter Jake Usher took the no-decision following a fantastic performance on the hill. The junior finished the first six innings of the game with just three hits and two earned runs allowed. He also fanned six Gamecock batters with only two walks. Hoyt took the loss on the day, his first of the season, despite not allowing an earned run yet again.
The rubber match of the series is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday afternoon at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex.
Photo by Golden Eagle Sports Network
