UT MARTIN RALLIES IN THE NINTH TO CAGE THE NO. 30 RANKED JAGUARS

Friday, February 21

Mobile, Ala.

6:30 p.m.

UT Martin

3-3

South Alabama

2-4

UT Martin

South Alabama

UT MARTIN RALLIES IN THE NINTH TO CAGE THE NO. 30 RANKED JAGUARS

2/21/2020 9:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score PDF

MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Tennessee of Martin's baseball team earned redemption points as they scored a late comeback in game two of the South Alabama Invitational.

Heading into the second game of the South Alabama Invitational, the Skyhawks seemed to be honed in on the pitching aspect of the game. From that same standpoint, they seemed to be searching for that opportunity to break out from behind the plate.

This trend seemed to be a defining trait as UT Martin coasted through the first couple of innings versus their ranked foe. The senior left-hander partook in this narrative as he allowed only two runs and four hits through the first five innings.

While Folks wheeled and dealed, the offense had yet to acquire any momentum to plate even a single run. The sixth inning proved to be an outlier as the roles switched, and both offenses gained all the momentum in the world.

It all started when senior Sean Dixson grounded out to second to score freshman Christian Hall. Cutting the lead was half the battle, but it was the big bats of the middle of the order that hammered everything home. Coming into the day, UT Martin ranked 99th in the NCAA with just two home runs. However, Houston Wright (2-run home run) and Wil LaFollette (solo home run) hadn't even had their first career four base trip for the Skyhawks. So in pandemic fashion, they blasted two shots back to back to give UT Martin the 6-2 lead.

However, both offenses felt the pressure to be better as the Jaguars took back the lead with four runs of their own. Alongside that, they knocked Folks out of the game as he went six innings, giving up six earned runs.

It took just one inning for the Skyhawks to tie the game. In the seventh UT Martin played to the mistakes of South Alabama. Junior Andruw McKenzie scored by way of an error. Then Hall grounded out to score Junior Blake Davis and make it 6-6.

In game one of the South Alabama Invitational, the Skyhawks seemed frustrated by their inability to score in the ninth versus Indiana. Chance No. 2 wouldn't be squandered as sophomore Jack Culumovic hit a roped shot double into the gap to score pinch-runner Thomas Fullerton.

With a 7-6 lead, there was only one person that could send the Skyhawks home happy. Enter junior Nick Wohlbold, the career leader in saves. Like clockwork, he exhausted the Jaguars and struck out the side to solidify the 7-6 victory.

Game Notes: Jack Culumovic and Wil LaFollette led all hitters with two hits and an RBI... Nick Wohlbold earned his first save of the year. Thus far in the season, he has pitched 3.1 innings giving up just one hit and striking out six... Jefferey O'Doherty pitched two scoreless innings only allowing one hit... coach Ryan Jenkins in this career is 9-8 in one-run games.