By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – All nine members of the University of Tennessee at Martin starting lineup either scored or drove in a run as the Skyhawk baseball squad generated a 13-9 victory over Ohio Valley Conference-leading Morehead State today.
UT Martin recorded 16 hits and scored five of the first seven frames, breaking open a 7-7 tie with six runs spread across the sixth and seventh innings to improve to 14-29 overall and 8-8 in OVC play.
Will Smith had a career-high four RBI’s – including a go-ahead run-scoring double in the sixth – while Mac Danford had four hits to guide several significant contributors to the Skyhawk offense. Caleb Hobson (2-for-3, three runs scored, two RBI’s), Andrew Fernandez (3-for-5, two runs, two RBI’s, two stolen bases) and Zac Rice (3-for-4, three runs scored, one RBI) also lifted UT Martin at the dish.
On the mound, Zach Wager (1-1) was awarded his first collegiate victory as the freshman tossed the final 1.2 scoreless innings, not allowing a hit while striking out a pair of Eagles. Baylor Jones also excelled in a high-leverage spot in the seventh, fanning a pair of batters in a shutout frame. Seth Petry was two outs away from a quality start but received a no-decision following 5.1 innings of work.
Morehead State (25-15, 9-4 OVC) scored the first two runs of the contest but the Skyhawks erupted for the next seven runs of the game. That stretch started with a four-spot in the bottom of the second as all of their runs came with two outs. Jack Culumovic walked to lead off the inning and moved ahead 90 feet on a Blaze Bell single. Rice followed with an RBI single to get UT Martin on the scoreboard before Hobson split the gap in right center for a two-run triple, giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the day. Fernandez added an RBI single to push UT Martin on top by a 4-2 margin.
After a shutdown top of the third from Petry, the Skyhawks piled on another run in the bottom half. Culumovic was issued another walk and two pitches later, Danford roped an RBI double to push UT Martin’s advantage out to 5-2.
Petry was responsible for another scoreless frame in the fourth, allowing the Skyhawks to extend their lead even more. Rice led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and following a Fernandez single, Smith went the opposite way for a two-run single, making the score 7-2 in favor of UT Martin.
Petry mowed down the Eagles in the top of the fifth before Morehead State tied the score at 7-all after its turn up to the plate in the top of the sixth.
That’s when the Skyhawk scoring spree continued as UT Martin pushed across three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. With the score knotted at 7-all, Smith delivered a go-ahead RBI double that plated Hobson (who reached on a walk). The Skyhawks then scored on both a passed ball and a wild pitch to lead 10-7 after six innings.
Jones struck out the final two batters he faced in another shutdown inning for the UT Martin hurlers. The Skyhawks collected three more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh as Fernandez had an RBI single before Smith and Hunter McLean each lifted sacrifice flies.
The Eagles were able to score twice in the eighth but Wager made his appearance later in the frame and proceeded to pitch lights-out once again en route to the win.
Redshirt sophomore first baseman Blaze Bell led a trio of University of Tennessee at Martin batters with multi-hit performances today but it wasn’t enough as the Skyhawk baseball team fell by a 9-3 margin to Morehead State.
Bell’s three hits equaled a career-high as he also reached base safely on a walk and drove in a run. Caleb Hobson and Andrew Fernandez also had two hits apiece out of the top two spots in the lineup while Zac Rice homered for UT Martin, who is now 14-30 with an 8-9 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.
The Skyhawk pitching staff tied a season-high with 11 strikeouts while only allowing two extra-base hits to the high-powered Eagle (26-15, 10-4 OVC) offense. Tristan Walton (3-5) struck out eight batters over five innings while the trio of Eli Martin (two frames), Campbell Cleveland (one inning) and Colin Millar (one frame) combined to allow just one earned run with no walks allowed in four innings out of the bullpen.
Walton got off to a hot start, striking out three consecutive Morehead State batters in the top of the first. UT Martin grabbed a lead in the bottom half after a wild pitch sandwiched between singles from Fernandez and Will Smith resulted in a 1-0 Skyhawk advantage.
The Eagles scored four runs (one unearned) in the top of the second but Walton recovered to retire the side in order in the third.
Rice led off the bottom of the third with a no-doubt home run that landed well past the left field wall, which was the fourth jack of the season for the Fort Mitchell, Ala. native. His solo homer shaved UT Martin’s deficit to 4-2.
Morehead State scored one run in the fourth before Walton accumulated two more strikeouts in a scoreless fifth, his final inning of work.
Martin went three-up, three-down in the top of the sixth and the Skyhawks inched closer in the bottom half of the inning. After the first two batters recorded outs, Mac Danford doubled to right field and was brought home on the next pitch, an RBI single off the bat of Bell that made the score 5-3 through six innings.
The Eagles managed one run in the seventh and three runs (all unearned) in the eighth to provide the final scoring tally of 9-3. Millar was able to pitch a perfect top of the ninth but unfortunately, the deficit was too large to overcome for UT Martin.
The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad continued its home success in Ohio Valley Conference play this afternoon, defeating Morehead State by an 8-5 margin at Skyhawk Field.
Today’s result marks four OVC home series wins in four tries as UT Martin (15-30, 9-9 OVC) has now taken two out of three games over Eastern Illinois, SIUE, Southern Indiana and Morehead State in front of the home crowd.
The Skyhawks led 5-1 early and staged a late rally after the Eagles (26-16, 10-5 OVC) tied the contest in the top of the seventh.
Eric Steensma managed his best start of the season today, not allowing an earned run while tying a season-high with six innings pitched. The redshirt junior right-hander from Western Springs, Ill. also equaled a career-high with six strikeouts while scattering five hits.
Zach Wager (2-1) was credited with his second win of the weekend as the freshman lefty did not allow a baserunner over the final two innings.
Offensively, Caleb Hobson went 2-for-4 with a career-best four RBI’s – smashing a big two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to provide some insurance. Jack Culumovic and Mac Danford (two hits) each drove in a pair of runs while Hunter McLean and Zac Rice both had two hits with two runs scored.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard early as an unearned run crossed the plate in the top of the first. UT Martin used some two-out magic in the bottom half, scoring three runs on four hits after the first two batters were retired. Will Smith and McLean each singled to start the rally before Culumovic lifted a two-run double down the left field line to give the Skyhawks the lead. Danford followed with an RBI single up the middle, plating Culumovic.
Morehead State was held scoreless in the top of the second thanks to a heads up play from Danford at third base. After a one-out triple, Danford snagged a one-hopper and caught the Eagle baserunner trying to score, firing home before catcher Slade Taylor delivered a perfect strike back to the bag to nab him.
Taylor led off the bottom of the second with a four-pitch walk and moved up to third on a double from Rice. Both Skyhawks came into score on the next batter as Hobson lined a two-run single the opposite way, pushing UT Martin’s lead out to 5-1.
The Skyhawk defense came up with another big play in the top of the third. After one unearned run already crossed the plate, Morehead State threatened to close the gap even more but Rice perfectly hit the cutoff man Blaze Bell, who spun and fired a relay throw to home to cut down another runner trying to score.
Steensma did not concede a hit or a walk over the next two frames, needing just eight pitches to retire the heart of the Eagle order in the top of the fifth. He then put the finishing touches on his day with back-to-back strikeouts to cap off another shutout frame in the sixth.
Morehead State tied the score with three runs (one unearned) in the top of the seventh but UT Martin was unfazed. McLean singled and stole second base with two away in the bottom of the inning, setting up Danford for an RBI single up the middle to nudge the Skyhawks back ahead by a 6-5 margin.
Wager came on in the eighth and quickly silenced the Eagle bats, retiring the side on nine pitches. He didn’t end up needing it but Hobson’s big fly in the bottom of the eighth gave Wager some breathing room in the ninth but the Columbus, Ind. native calmly induced a pair of flyouts and a game-ending groundout against the first three hitters in the Morehead State lineup.
UT Martin will focus on final examinations this week before returning to action with a three-game series at OVC newcomer Lindenwood on May 5-7.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information