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Blue Eagle Bats Never Able To Get Warm
Web Posted June 10, 2010

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Tennessee Tornados (6-2) defeated the Spartanburg Blue Eagles (5-3) 3-1 Thursday night at Howard Johnson Field in Johnson City, Tennessee.

The win moves the Tornados atop of the Southern Collegiate Baseball standings while the loss drops the Blue Eagles into second place.

The Blue Eagles arrived late to Johnson City and were not able to take batting practice as a result of traffic on I-26. However, those who were in attendance at the game may have thought they never arrived at all as Spartanburg scored one run on a total of three hits at the plate.

Tennessee’s Eddie Smith Jr. kept Blue Eagle hitters off balance mixing in his fastball and curveball throughout the game striking out six, only allowing one run on three hits in six innings pitched. Smith won his first game of the year improving his record to 1-0. Blue Eagle starting pitcher Dylan Cole (Furman) fell to 1-1 on the season. Cole pitched well, scattering seven hits over six innings and striking out four Tornados. However, his performance was not good enough to win the game.

The Blue Eagles jumped out to an early lead in the third inning when centerfielder Alex Dozier (USC-Sumpter) tripled off the unorthodox looking hill that is connected to the right field wall. After Dozier, Jaren Sustar (Charleston Southern) drove a deep fly ball to right that scored Dozier from third. Sustar was leading the team with a .429 batting average coming into the day. The Blue Eagles recorded two hits after the Dozier triple, but were unable to score anymore runs.

Sustar spoke about Smith Jr. and the Blue Eagles troubles at the plate after the game.

“Throughout the game he (Smith Jr.) was able to hit his spots and his curve ball was really working for him,” said Sustar. “Getting off the bus and just playing right away kind of threw us off. I mean we are used to warming up and taking BP (batting practice) a couple hours before the game. It just threw us off our routine.”

The Tornados quickly responded to the Blue Eagles by scoring 2 runs in the bottom half of the fourth and from then on out it was Smith Jr., and a couple of Tornado relievers that shut the Blue Eagle bats down.

Tennessee’s Brent Gay recorded his first save of the summer as he came in and pitched a scoreless ninth, getting the Blue Eagles to go down 1-2-3, striking out two.

The Blue Eagles Travel to Fort Mill Friday to play the Stingers in a doubleheader that begins at 5pm.