By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information Intern
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – In the fifth neutral-site meeting between the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team and in-state foe Memphis on Tuesday night, the Skyhawks found themselves locked in their second extra-inning war of attrition within the past six days after some late-game heroics and another flavorful offensive performance. Despite a 17-hit accumulation that featured a trio of long-balls and a 9th-inning rally, UTM was ultimately bested by the Tigers after 12 grueling frames by the score of 11-10.
The non-conference slugfest – held inside Millington’s USA Stadium – turned into the longest outing of the 2022 campaign for UT Martin (10-29, 3-15 OVC), who found three separate innings of scoring two or more times, including the aforementioned comeback in the waning moments of regulation. Facing a 10-7 hole with their backs against the wall, the navy and orange were reenergized from both the bottom and top of the batting order to send the contest into bonus baseball for the second time in the past four games.
Infielder Nate Self opened the rally in the outing’s climax on the team’s third double of the evening, setting up nine-hole hitter Alec Beaman for the RBI-single. Only seconds later, sophomore Will Smith boomed his third homer of the year down the rightfield line for perhaps the most momentous swing of the preseason All-OVC performer’s college career.
Smith’s game-tying lob wasn’t the first time on Tuesday that the Skyhawks drilled one past the outfield barrier. In fact, both Wil LaFollette and Casey Harford provided their own HR’s in the 2nd and 3rd innings respectively, the latter of which was the second of what would become four consecutive hits from the UTM senior shortstop. Harford and LaFollette – responsible for 16 of the team’s 35 home runs since February – added up for seven hits and five RBI against the Tigers, including a triple from the second-year rightfielder later in the contest.
Erupting for eight extra-base swings to calculate 17 connections in all (the second-highest hit count of 2022 for the orange and blue), the Skyhawks found significant contributions from nearly everyone who stepped to the plate, including a combined nine hits from Smith, Self, Beaman, and freshman DH Blaze Bell, who dropped in an RBI-double in the top of the 8th.
Harford’s four scores batted in bring the senior’s RBI collection to 35 on the year and 146 over the past five seasons. Meanwhile, Smith’s three runs scored matches a season-high for a single match that was also secured away from home against Central Arkansas back on March 13th.
A grand total of 15 pitchers were utilized from both sides to account for the lengthy nature of the midweek battle, where freshman J. Henry Hobson was given the starting role. Alongside relievers Seth Petry, Trey Ricko, Blake Davis, Tucker Reed, Baylor Jones, Noah Walters, and Warren Lee, the Skyhawks canned 12 batters on 257 tosses, helping the UTM offense outperform Memphis in the hits department by a 17-10 difference.
While the Tigers ultimately grabbed the close win, the Skyhawks’ batting prowess continues to grow stronger in the latter stages of the semester, placing 327 hits as a unit overall while bringing their home run assortment to 35 in 39 games.
Staying with the theme of in-state opponents this weekend, UT Martin will turn right around to host the Belmont Bruins in the final home series of the year beginning on Friday. In the penultimate OVC set of the regular season and the last to be conducted at Skyhawk Field, Game 1 on May 6th is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information