By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team was three outs away from securing a victory in tonight’s series opener at Little Rock but the host Trojans pushed across two runs in the bottom of the ninth to steal a 5-4 win.
The Skyhawks (9-22, 4-3 Ohio Valley Conference) took a dramatic 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth as Zac Rice crushed a leadoff homer to tie the game before an Andrew Fernandez go-ahead RBI single. However, UT Martin ran into some tough luck in the bottom half of the inning and dropped its third walk-off decision in the last 10 days.
Jack Culumovic stayed hot for the Skyhawks today as the redshirt senior designated hitter homered for the third consecutive game as part of a three-hit performance. Fernandez added a pair of hits and two RBI’s to guide UT Martin offensively.
Two Skyhawk pitchers saw action on the mound as the duo of Seth Petry and Tristan Walton (1-4) combined to strikeout 10 Trojans against just one walk. Petry whiffed five batters over 5.1 innings of work but received a no-decision while Walton punched out five batters in three frames out of the bullpen.
Facing OVC ERA leader Jackson Wells (1.23 ERA coming into the game), the UT Martin offense struck first as Culumovic pulverized his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the second – a solo shot to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 advantage.
Petry was in an early rhythm, pitching around a one-out triple in the first to hold Little Rock scoreless. He then stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second with a popup and inning-ending called strikeout. The senior right-hander then retired the side in order in the bottom of the third, needing just six pitches to do so.
Following yet another scoreless frame from Petry in the fourth, UT Martin tacked on another run in its next at-bat. Cameron Brady singled to open the top of the fifth and advanced 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Rice. Fernandez then lined an RBI single up the middle to extend the Skyhawk advantage out to 2-0.
The Trojans (15-11, 4-3 OVC) scored on a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth but Petry stopped the damage there and kept the lead in UT Martin’s favor. Little Rock scored twice in the sixth to take its first lead of the game.
The Skyhawks placed baserunners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth but could not manufacture a run. Meanwhile, Walton did not allow a hit during the seventh and eighth innings, piling up three strikeouts during that span. The junior lefty retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to keep the score at 3-2 and give UT Martin a chance.
The momentum quickly shifted in the top of the ninth as Rice walloped a 2-1 pitch from Trojan closer Austin Stubber beyond the wall in left field to tie the game at 3-all. Caleb Hobson then showed extreme plate discipline with a seven-pitch walk before moving up to third base on a stolen base and passed ball. Fernandez guided an RBI single to center to put the Skyhawks back on top going into the bottom of the ninth.
Little Rock led the inning off with a home run down the left field line that went to a replay review before the call on the field was upheld. Moments later, the Trojans were able to score on a walk-off single.
The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad ran into some tough pitching today at Little Rock, falling by an 8-3 margin in the middle game of the Ohio Valley Conference series at Gary Hogan Field.
The Skyhawks, who entered the day as the OVC leader with 267 hits on the season, were held to a season-low two base knocks. Despite that, UT Martin (9-23, 4-4 OVC) pushed across three runs in the top of the third and briefly held a lead but the Trojans retook the advantage in the bottom half and never relinquished the lead from that point forward.
Andrew Fernandez had an RBI and a run scored for the Skyhawks while Will Smith and Jack Culumovic also drove in one run apiece. Caleb Hobson and Zac Rice each stole a base and scored a run for UT Martin today.
On the pitching side, Tucker Reed (0.2 frames) and Zach Wager (three innings) each accounted for scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. Wager allowed only two hits while striking out four batters, tossing the final three frames. Jordan Armstrong (1-4) made the start and pitched 4.1 innings as the three Skyhawk hurlers combined to only issue two walks and allow three extra-base hits (all doubles).
Little Rock (16-11, 5-3 OVC) scored a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the first inning. Armstrong pitched around a one-out single in the bottom of the second, shutting out the Trojan bats in that frame.
UT Martin took its lead in the top of the third. Rice was issued a one-out walk and promptly stole second base ahead of a Hobson 10-pitch plate appearance that ended in a walk. Fernandez followed with a clean RBI single through the right side to score Rice. Hobson came around to score on a Smith RBI before Blaze Bell singled to load the bases with one away. Culumovic then gave the Skyhawks their first lead of the contest with a sacrifice fly out to deep left field, making the score 3-2 in favor of UT Martin.
The Trojans retook the lead with a pair of runs in their next at-bat. After the go-ahead run scored on a balk, Bell provided heads up defense by cutting down a runner at the plate trying to advance on a fielder’s choice.
Armstrong retired the side in order on just 10 pitches in the fourth. Hobson led off the fifth and was hit by a pitch before stealing second base, his OVC-best 21st swipe of the spring. Unfortunately, the Skyhawks could not cash in on a runner in scoring position.
Little Rock added four runs in the bottom of the fifth before Reed entered the game and stranded a pair of runners.
Wager took over in the sixth and at one point struck out four consecutive Trojans. The freshman southpaw mowed through the 12 Little Rock batters he faced, constantly working ahead by firing 27 of his 42 pitches for strikes.
However, UT Martin’s offense couldn’t solve Trojan starter Noah Burkey, who went seven innings before giving way to Scott McDonough in the eighth and Erik McKnight in the ninth. The Skyhawks would not place another runner in scoring position after the fifth inning.
A trio of University of Tennessee at Martin hurlers held Little Rock to three earned runs this afternoon but the Skyhawks fell by a 4-2 margin in an Ohio Valley Conference baseball showdown.
Eric Steensma (2-2) drew the starting assignment and blanked the Trojans through four innings before exiting in the fifth. The UT Martin bullpen duo of J. Henry Hobson (four strikeouts over 2.2 innings) and Campbell Cleveland (one inning) did not concede an earned run to complete the contest.
Offensively, Will Smith posted an RBI while Caleb Hobson stole a base and scored a run for the Skyhawks (9-24, 4-5 OVC). Slade Taylor also scored a run while Hunter McLean did not record an official at-bat but reached base safely four times (two walks, two times hit by pitch).
Steensma coasted early as the game was scoreless through four innings. He recorded a strikeout in each of the first two frames before stranding a runner on third base in the third inning. He followed that with an 11-pitch frame in the bottom of the fourth to shut out the Little Rock bats through four innings of work.
The UT Martin offense showed signs of breaking through early in the game. Caleb Hobson (double) and Andrew Fernandez (walk) both reached base in the first inning before the Skyhawks loaded the bases (Blaze Bell walk, McLean hit by pitch, Cameron Brady walk) in the top of the second. After the Trojans pitched in and out of trouble in those two innings, UT Martin got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth.
Brady was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before pinch runner Taylor moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Zac Rice. After a Fernandez single, Taylor trotted home on a Smith RBI single to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 advantage.
Little Rock (17-11, 6-3 OVC) tallied three runs in its half of the fifth but J. Henry Hobson, who entered mid-inning, stranded a pair of runners to keep UT Martin within striking distance.
The first two Skyhawk hitters reached base in the sixth as Jack Culumovic singled through the right side and McLean was hit by a pitch. However, UT Martin could not generate a run.
The Trojans generated an unearned run in the sixth but the Skyhawks threatened in their next turn up to bat. Caleb Hobson reached on an error and soon stole second base with two away. He then came in to score on an error to trim UT Martin’s deficit to 4-2.
- Henry Hobson was responsible for a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless seventh while Cleveland followed with a shutout frame in the eighth.
The Skyhawks brought the tying run to the plate early in the top of the ninth after Rice doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Once again, Little Rock worked through a jam and was able to claim the win.
UT Martin is back at home for its next five games, beginning with a Wednesday, April 12 outing against Austin Peay at 6 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information