By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director and Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team opened the home portion of its 2023 schedule on Friday afternoon by playing host to Missouri Valley Conference foe Valparaiso on a chilly afternoon at Skyhawk Field before ultimately dropping Game 1 of the series by a final margin of 10-2.
The Skyhawks (3-4) saw six different players tally hits at the plate but could not overcome a high-powered offensive afternoon from the visiting Beacons. Valpo opened the contest with three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back before eventually stringing together five scoring frames to steal the series opener.
UT Martin’s offensive production came from a pair of veterans in Jack Culumovic and Will Smith who each tallied RBIs. Meanwhile, Andrew Fernandez, Blaze Bell, Mac Danford and Alec Beaman also scratched out base knocks.
On the bump, Tristan Walton (1-1) was hit with the loss after reaching the century mark with his pitch count while tossing five innings of work. Choyce Diffey tossed two innings of middle relief action while Baylor Jones was impressive in the final two innings, scattering three hits while allowing zero runs.
Valparaiso (2-2) racked up 17 hits on the afternoon, led by a pair of three-hit afternoons from the tandem of Brady Renfro and Alex Ryan. Meanwhile, Kyle Schmack paced the team with three RBIs – including a two-run home run – while Nolan Tucker also cleared the yard with a two-run homer. On the mound, Griffin McCluskey picked up his first win of the season after striking out four and allowing one run in five innings of work
The Beacons got the game’s scoring started in the opening inning of the contest as Schmack doubled to center field to plate the game’s first run. Then back-to-back singles by Renfro and Skrine saw the visitors jump out to an early three-run advantage.
After Valpo added another run in the top of the second inning off an RBI-single by Renfro, the Skyhawks responded in the bottom half of the inning. Following a leadoff single to left center by Culumovic and a subsequent double by Bell, the Skyhawks had two runners in scoring position with no outs. Looking to get the home team on the board, Smith tallied UT Martin’s first RBI of the season at Skyhawk Field with a single through the left side to score Culumovic on the play and bring the margin to 4-1.
Following a RBI by Ryan in the top of the third by Valpo, the scoring came to a halt until the sixth inning. Already boasting a four-run advantage, the Beacons looked to put the game away in the sixth as Tucker connected on a two-run home run to right center before Skrine came through with another RBI single up the middle to stretch the squad’s advantage out to seven runs. The Beacons then added their final runs of the contest on a two-run blast by Schmack in the top of the seventh.
The Skyhawks did get back on the board in the bottom of the eighth after Caleb Hobson led off the inning with a 10-pitch at bat which ultimately resulted in a walk. Later in the inning, Hobson would use his speed to move from first to third on a single to left center by Fernandez which set up Culumovic for a RBI opportunity that he cashed in with a sacrifice fly to right field to score the game’s final run at 10-2.
The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad was a mere one strike away from evening up its home-opening series against Valparaiso but the Beacons rallied to tie the game in the ninth and go ahead in the 10th in a 5-4 Skyhawk setback.
The top of the ninth was set up by a dramatic rally of UT Martin’s own as the Skyhawks erased a 3-1 deficit after six innings to carry a 4-3 lead into the top of the ninth. UT Martin placed runners on the basepaths in both the bottom half of the ninth and 10th innings but could not win or extend the contest.
Will Smith and Mac Danford each had multi-hit efforts and drove in a run for the Skyhawks (3-5) while Blaze Bell reached base safely three times (double, two walks) and scored a pair of runs. Batting out of the 2-hole in the lineup, Caleb Hobson swiped three stolen bases today – just one shy of the school’s all-time record set in 1986 and the most since Josh Hauser stole three bases against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 25, 2017.
On the mound, starter Jordan Armstrong allowed only two runs with one walk over six innings but did not factor into the decision. J. Henry Hobson and Colin Millar did not allow an earned run over one-inning appearances.
It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game as Armstrong matched up against reining Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week Connor Lockwood. The Beacons got on the scoreboard first with one run in the second but Armstrong did a masterful job of pitching out of a bases loaded jam to limit the damage at one run.
Armstrong received some help from his defense soon thereafter as UT Martin freshman Jackson Cooke nabbed a runner trying to steal second base in the third inning before the Skyhawks turned a key 5-4-3 double play in the fourth.
UT Martin evened things up at 1-all in the bottom of the fourth. Hobson singled to lead off the frame and stole second. Two batters later, Jack Culumovic singled to center to easily plate Hobson.
Valparaiso scored once in the fifth but Armstrong thwarted a potentially dangerous situation in the sixth. The Beacons led off the inning with back-to-back singles but the righty from McDonough, Ga. kept Valparaiso scoreless in his final frame of work.
After the Beacons pushed across an unearned run in the seventh, the Skyhawks got one back in the bottom half. Bell, Cooke and Danford each drew walks and following a Valparaiso pitching change, Alec Beaman jumped on the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to trim UT Martin’s deficit to 3-2.
Millar silenced the Beacon bats in the top of the eighth, dialing up a pair of strikeouts and a groundout on only 12 pitches. That set the stage for a big bottom half for the Skyhawk offense.
After two quick outs, Bell ripped a double down the left field line and sprinted home on a Smith RBI single. Slade Taylor then followed with a single to force yet another Valparaiso pitching change. With the score knotted at 3-all, Danford clubbed an opposite-field single to score Smith and send the UT Martin dugout into a frenzy after taking its first lead of the day.
Campbell Cleveland (0-1) then came in and had a 1-2 count on the potential third out of the inning before a Beacon single drove in the game-tying run.
The speedy Hobson nearly gave the Skyhawks a walk-off win in the bottom half. He was issued a five-pitch walk and promptly stole both second and third bases, putting the potential winning run 90 feet away with one out. However, UT Martin could not produce a run and the contest proceeded into extra innings.
Valparaiso came up with yet another two-out RBI in the top of the 10th. The Skyhawks placed the tying run on base in the bottom half as Taylor was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Hunter McLean. Unfortunately, the Beacons were able to escape with no damage to claim the win.
The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team recorded a season-high five extra-base hits today but it wasn’t enough as the Skyhawks fell 17-4 in the final game of the Valparaiso series.
Andrew Fernandez produced a pair of doubles and a walk today to guide UT Martin offensively, driving in a pair of run. Blaze Bell went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Caleb Hobson scored two runs for the Skyhawks (3-6).
Five UT Martin pitchers saw time on the bump today, combining to tie a season-high with nine strikeouts. Seth Petry (0-1) struck out five batters over four innings while Eric Steensma (two punchouts in 2.2 frames), Trey Ricko (one strikeout in 0.2 innings) and Eli Martin (one strikeout in 0.1 frames) also contributed to the season-high strikeout total.
After the Beacons (4-2) scored two runs in the top of the first, the Skyhawks answered with a run of their own in the bottom half. Hobson drew a walk and two pitches later, he scampered home on an RBI double off the bat of Fernandez to make the score 2-1.
Petry gathered a double play and a strikeout in a shutout top of the second and UT Martin threatened in its next turn up to bat – placing the first two runners on with a Slade Taylor walk and Travis Stauter hit by pitch. However, Valparaiso was able to escape unscathed.
The Beacons scored three times (two earned) in the top of the third but once again, the Skyhawks battled right back – notching two runs in the third. Hobson drove a triple out to centerfield with one away and came in to score on Fernandez’s RBI double to left center. Fernandez would eventually come around to score on a Blaze Bell RBI double as UT Martin trimmed its deficit to 5-3.
The Skyhawks got within a run after the fourth inning. Petry worked through a scoreless frame on just 14 pitches in the top half. A two-out walk to Alec Beaman in the bottom half resulted in an RBI double off the bat of Zac Rice, making the score 5-4.
Valparaiso managed a pair of runs in the fifth before Steensma came in out of the bullpen, striking out a pair of batters to keep UT Martin within striking distance.
The Beacons then scored five runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth to provide the final scoring margin. The Skyhawks placed a pair of runners on the basepaths in the seventh before loading the bases in the eighth but couldn’t come up with a big hit.
UT Martin continues its season-long nine-game homestand on Wednesday, March 1 when it takes on UIC at 6 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information