By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team got on the scoreboard first this afternoon at Southeast Missouri but the Ohio Valley Conference-leading Redhawks closed out the contest with six unanswered runs to deal the Skyhawks a 6-2 setback at Capaha Field.
Christian Hall mashed a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning off Southeast Missouri starting pitcher Dylan Dodd, ending his 28-inning consecutive scoreless streak and giving UT Martin a 2-0 lead in the process. It marked the ninth homer of the season for the left-handed slugger out of Calera, Ala.
Alec Beaman also reached base twice (single, walk) out of the No. 9 hole in the Skyhawk lineup while Ethan Whitley scored a run for UT Martin (18-28, 9-16 OVC).
On the mound, Eric Steensma (1-3) drew the starting assignment and pitched well for a majority of his appearance. However, the righty from Western Springs, Ill. was saddled with the tough-luck loss after allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks over five frames. Matthew Shunk added 0.2 perfect innings to wrap up the contest while Ryan Insco fanned five batters over 2.1 frames out of the bullpen.
The Skyhawks knew heading in they’d be matched up with Dodd (8-1), one of the favorites to win the OVC Pitcher of the Year award. Steensma accepted the challenge and breezed through the first three innings, conceding only a pair of infield singles in that span.
Steensma sat down the Redhawks (26-18, 16-9 OVC) in order in the bottom of the first and just allowed a bunt single in the second. All that Southeast Missouri could manage off Steensma was a harmless two-out infield single in the third.
Whitley was hit by a pitch with one away in the top of the fourth before Hall went opposite-field for a two-run shot that broke the scoreless tie.
In the bottom of the fourth, Steensma recorded two outs before the Redhawks equaled the score at 2-all. Southeast Missouri scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth to take its first lead of the contest at 3-2.
UT Martin loaded the bases in the top of the sixth thanks to a Hall single, a Blake Davis single and Nate Self reaching on an error. However, the Redhawks narrowly escaped the jam to keep their 3-2 lead.
Southeast Missouri scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth before Insco struck out a trio of Redhawks in the seventh. The score was 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth following two Southeast Missouri runs before Shunk came in and stranded a pair of runners.
The Skyhawks brought the tying run to the on-deck circle in the top of the ninth after Self (reached on an error) and Beaman (walked). The rally came up just short as Austin Williams wrapped up his 2.1-inning appearance for his sixth save of the season.
These two teams wrap up the 2021 regular season tomorrow with a doubleheader that is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information