CANNON DAZZLES AS UTM BASEBALL BLANKS NORTH ALABAMA 1-0

Saturday, February 23

Jacksonville, Ala.

3:00 PM

UT Martin

2-2

North Alabama

1-3

Tennessee-Martin

North Alabama

CANNON DAZZLES AS UTM BASEBALL BLANKS NORTH ALABAMA 1-0

2/23/2019 6:22:00 PM | Baseball

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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team issued a 1-0 shutout this evening to North Alabama behind the arm of Winston Cannon.

Today's shutout marks the first time the Skyhawks have not allowed a run in a contest since May 3, 2017 when they blanked Alabama A&M by a score of 6-0 and the first 1-0 shutout since April 7, 2017 as UT Martin claimed the victory over Morehead State, also with the help of Cannon.

At the dish, UT Martin (2-2) was led by Sean Dixson as he drove in the lone run of the contest and also tallied a double. Casey Harford and Blake Davis each racked up a pair of hits while Jordan Stoner also collected a base knock and swiped a base.

Cannon (1-1) was nearly untouchable in his 6.2-inning start on the mound today. The Cookeville, Tenn. native allowed just four hits and a walk while fanning eight Lions in the process. The Skyhawk bullpen was superb as well as David Hussey tossed 1.1 inning, allowing just one hit and sat down one via the strikeout. Zach Denney came on in the ninth to close the door and notch his first save of the season (second of the young year for the Skyhawks) and allowed just two walks.

UT Martin looked to get started off hot as Stoner led off the game with a single followed shortly by Dixson reaching first on a single but to no avail. Cannon would make quick work of North Alabama as he needed just eight pitches to sit down the lions in the first frame.

Cannon would work out of a pickle in the second as he retired the first two batters of the inning via the punchout but allowed a back-to-back-to-back singles to load up the bases. The righty kept a cool head and whiffed the next batter to keep the game scoreless. He then worked quickly through the third and fourth innings before working around a leadoff single in the fifth to get out of the frame unscathed.

UT Martin found its lone run in the fifth inning as Harford tallied a two-out single just before Dixson ripped a double to plate Harford and give the Skyhawks the 1-0 lead.

Cannon kept chugging along as he retired the side in order in the sixth, ringing up two via the strikeout. In the seventh, he forced a flyout to center followed by a groundout back to himself before issuing a walk which allowed Hussey to come into the game. Hussey would not be rattled though as he forced a flyout to right to end the inning.

Hussey fanned the first batter of the eighth and worked around an error and double before forcing a popout and groundout to escape the North Alabama threat.

Denney would get the call in the ninth to close things out for UT Martin. He issued a leadoff walk but the runner would get caught stealing to erase the runner. Denney would allow another free base but found a friendly ground ball come back his way and recorded the double play to end the game.

The Skyhawks return to action against North Alabama tomorrow as they play a double header beginning at noon.