By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – Limiting one of the most dangerous mid-major offenses in all of America to a season-low hit total, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team enacted a sensational performance on both sides of the field Tuesday afternoon at Skyhawk Field, scooping up an impressive 5-2 triumph over Southern Illinois for a significant non-conference victory.
Entering today’s OVC vs. MVC battle, the Salukis had amassed a grand total of 173 hits in 16 outings, including a five-game streak of 10 or more hits. Thanks to a bevy of eye-popping plays from the UTM outfield and an efficient day from all five pitchers, SIU mustered a mere two hits in 29 turns at-bat, only able to register a single extra-base hit as the Skyhawks locked down the Missouri Valley Conference offensive leader to its weakest performance of the season.
Turning in quite the debut showing as the navy and orange starter on Tuesday, junior southpaw Jacob Smith immediately made his presence felt over a three-inning stretch of just one hit given up. UT Martin’s next three arms – Tucker Reed, Baylor Jones, and Trey Ricko – added up for only two runs allowed in 17 batters faced, paving the way for senior Blake Davis to burnish his third individual save of 2022 by closing out the final four Salukis and keep the hot-hitting visitors at bay.
Lead-off man Will Smith, shortstop Casey Harford, and first-baseman Ethan Whitley combined for six of the Skyhawks’ 11 hits in the fist-pumping result, although the game-clinching play arguably came from the glove of rightfielder Wil LaFollette, completing a diving grab for the last out of the 8th inning that could have put Southern Illinois right back in contention to steal a win.
As has been the case for the majority of UTM’s meetings this semester, they found themselves ahead to start off in the 3rd period. With sophomore Alec Beaman in scoring position after a walk and a steal, Harford calmly delivered his 14th RBI of the season (firmly the highest figure on the roster) with a double that expertly skirted past the third-base line.
Not content with the slim lead, the Skyhawks poured it on in the bottom of the 4th by hoisting their advantage up to 4-0 that capped off a six-hit inning. Third-baseman Hunter McLean arranged the scoring spurt by swinging the team’s second double of the day to score infield mate Whitley. Beaman and Smith suddenly piled on the lead to a quartet with back-to-back RBI singles that brought McLean and designated hitter Houston Wright around the base pads.
The only blemish on the Skyhawks’ otherwise outstanding defensive day came in the top of the 7th on an SIU solo homer, although UTM paid the Salukis right back in the bottom of that same frame with a Whitley RBI to score Smith.
Threatening to potentially take the lead with a runner on 1st and 3rd beside two outs in the top of the 8th, SIU infielder J.T. Weber – Monday’s recipient of MVC Player of the Week honors and a .441 hitter – launched a would-be extra-base hit deep into right center. Sprinting to make the grab at the last possible moment, LaFollette’s crucial snag deflated all the life out of the Salukis and it was smooth sailing for the Skyhawks from that point.
While eight separate UTM jerseys produced at least one hit, SIU starter Ben Riffe took the loss on the mound by giving up the first four scores. On the other side, Jacob Smith soared to the monstrous personal win in his Skyhawk debut, while his backing offense landed double-digit hits for the fifth time on the year.
Taking Tuesday’s momentous victory into their third fourth consecutive road weekend series, head coach Ryan Jenkins’ crew ventures to Western Carolina this Friday for a trifecta of games with the Catamounts. Game 1’s first pitch in Cullowhee is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on March 18th.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information