By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Tennessee at Martin utility man Mac Danford accounted for four hits and a pair of home runs this evening but Austin Peay rallied late to leave Skyhawk Field with a 14-9 win.
Making his fifth start of the season at catcher tonight, Danford drove in a career-high five runs while collecting his sixth multi-hit performance over his last 10 contests. The right-handed slugger from Grand Ridge, Fla. launched a solo homer in the third inning, hustled out an inside-the-park home run that scored two runs in the fifth and added a two-run single in the sixth to give UT Martin a 9-4 advantage. He would add a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth as the Skyhawks brought the tying run to the on-deck circle but the Governors held on.
Hunter McLean reached base safely four times with three hits (including a home run) and a walk while scoring three times and driving in a pair of runs for UT Martin (9-25). Caleb Hobson and Jack Culumovic added multi-hit games at the dish while Will Smith crossed the plate three times for the Skyhawks, who saw exactly half of their 14 hits go for extra-bases (three doubles, a triple, three home runs).
On the mound, Tucker Reed (two innings), Campbell Cleveland (0.2 innings), Colin Millar (0.1 innings) and Trey Ricko (0.2 innings) each did not allow an earned run out of the UT Martin bullpen.
Austin Peay (16-18) scored three runs in the top of the first but the Skyhawks’ patience in the bottom of the first resulted in one run. Smith (hit by pitch), McLean (walk) and Culumovic (hit by pitch) all reached with two away before Blaze Bell was hit by a pitch to earn an RBI and make the score 3-1.
Zach Wager kept the Governors off the scoreboard in the second inning, stranding a pair of runners. Austin Peay managed one run in the top of the third but the Skyhawks recovered for a three-spot in the bottom half of the frame to even things up at 4-all.
Smith lifted a triple off the wall in right field to start off the third and three pitches later, McLean lined a double to left field to pull UT Martin within two runs. After McLean advanced to third on a wild pitch, Culumovic displayed a good piece of hitting with an RBI groundout to the right side to make the score 4-3. Danford then deposited a 1-2 pitch beyond the wall in left field to tie up the score.
Reed appeared in the fourth and threw up a pair of zeroes on the scoreboard. He received some help from his defense in the fourth as the Skyhawks executed a perfect relay throw from Caleb Hobson to Blaze Bell to Danford at the plate to cut down a Governor trying to score. Reed then shut down the Austin Peay offense in the top of the fifth, swinging the momentum to UT Martin.
McLean cranked a round tripper out to left center to lead off the bottom of the fifth, giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the game. After a Culumovic double down the left field line against the shift, Danford lifted a one-hopper off the centerfield wall and scampered home for a two-run inside-the-park homer, extending UT Martin’s advantage out to 7-4.
- Henry Hobson induced a pair of groundouts and a strikeout in a scoreless sixth while the Skyhawks added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom half of the inning. Smith (walk), McLean (single) and Culumovic (walk) all reached base ahead of Danford, who came through with a clutch two-out single that brought in a pair of runs and made the score 9-4.
However, the Governors tied the game with five runs in the top of the seventh – including one unearned run. Austin Peay scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on a two-out single after Eli Martin (0-2) came so close to stranding the runner on third.
With UT Martin trailing 10-9, Culumovic nearly tied the ballgame in the eighth as he roped a two-out double off the very top of the wall in right center. The Governors recovered to get out of the jam and scored four runs (all unearned) in the top of the ninth.
The Skyhawks continued to fight as the first three batters in the bottom of the ninth (Danford, pinch-hitter Jonah Wichman and Zac Rice) each singled to load the bases with no outs. Just as it did during the previous inning, Austin Peay bounced back to end UT Martin’s threat.
A three-game Ohio Valley Conference series is next on the schedule for the Skyhawks as UT Martin will host Southern Indiana this weekend. The series begins on Friday, April 14 at 5 p.m. and will continue with Game 2 on Saturday, April 15 (3 p.m.) before the 1 p.m. finale on Sunday, April 16.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information