LATE PUSH FOR UT MARTIN BASEBALL NOT ENOUGH IN 9-8 NONCONFERENCE SETBACK AT BELMONT

Tuesday, March 30

Nashville, Tenn.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

9-11

Belmont

8-12

UT Martin

Belmont

LATE PUSH FOR UT MARTIN BASEBALL NOT ENOUGH IN 9-8 NONCONFERENCE SETBACK AT BELMONT

3/30/2021 8:51:00 PM | Baseball

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Each of the top four University of Tennessee at Martin batters in the lineup collected multi-hit outings today but a ninth-inning rally came up just short in a 9-8 nonconference baseball contest at Belmont.

Christian Hall went 2-for-4 with a home run, driving in four runs out of the cleanup spot for the Skyhawks (9-11). Wil LaFollette also went yard for his fifth homer of the season while the top-third of the batting order of Sean Dixson (two runs scored), Will Smith (one run scored) and Casey Harford (one RBI, one run scored) heavily contributed to an offensive attack that produced a dozen hits.

The story on the mound was true freshman Tucker Reed, who was dominant in his collegiate debut. The righty out of Athens, Ala. entered the game in the fifth inning with the Bruins having already scored nine runs. He silenced Belmont the rest of the way, keeping the Bruins off the scoreboard with four strong innings to give UT Martin a chance to come back.

The Skyhawks held a pair of early leads, beginning with a 1-0 lead after the first frame. Dixson was hit on the first pitch of the game and moved up to third base following a pair of wild pitches. He then came around to score on a RBI groundout off the bat of Harford as UT Martin claimed the early momentum.

Ryan Insco (0-1) made his first career start for the Skyhawks, racking up a pair of called strikeouts in a scoreless first frame.

UT Martin added another run in the second as Houston Wright, who reached on an error, scored after a one-out single by Blake Daniels.

Belmont made it 2-1 in the bottom of the second after a runner scored on a double steal. The Bruins then tallied three runs in the third inning and five runs in the fourth to go on top 9-2.

Reed was then summoned from the bullpen in the fifth as he retired the side in order on just seven pitches in his first taste of collegiate baseball.

The momentum began to shift in the top of the sixth as Harford led things off with a single. Hall then deposited the next pitch over the left field wall for a two-run shot, the team-high seventh round-tripper of the season for the freshman designated hitter from Calera, Ala.

After Reed pitched around a one-out double in the sixth, the Skyhawks shaved their deficit to 9-8 following four runs in the top of the seventh. Dixson and Smith each singled up the middle and after a grounder for the second out of the inning, Hall delivered a two-run single. LaFollette then jumped on the first pitch for an opposite-field homer to cap off the big scoring inning.

Reed stranded a runner on third in the seventh, getting out of a potential jam with a strikeout for the final out of the frame. His battery mate Cameron Brady laced a double into the gap in left center with one away in the top of the eighth but UT Martin could not tie the game.

Once again it appeared that momentum was on the Skyhawks' side once Reed induced an inning-ending double play with a pair of runners aboard the basepaths to end the eighth. Smith singled to jumpstart the ninth and advanced to second after a groundout. With the tying run on second base, Hall was intentionally walked with one away. Soon thereafter, Smith scampered to third on a wild pitch but Belmont was able to eke out the win.

UT Martin will embark on its second trip to Louisiana in as many weekends when it travels to Nicholls for a three-game series. First pitch times are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on both Thursday, April 1 and Friday, April 2 while the Saturday, April 3 series finale is set for 12 p.m.