CANNON’S HISTORICAL START NOT ENOUGH AS SKYHAWK BASEBALL DROPS AUSTIN PEAY SERIES OPENER

Friday, April 16

Martin, Tenn.

5 p.m.

UT Martin

11-18, 4-6

Austin Peay

11-20, 8-8

Austin Peay

UT Martin

CANNON’S HISTORICAL START NOT ENOUGH AS SKYHAWK BASEBALL DROPS AUSTIN PEAY SERIES OPENER

4/16/2021 8:43:00 PM | Baseball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – Winston Cannon became the University of Tennessee at Martin's all-time leader in games started by a pitcher today but the Skyhawks could not get enough offense going in an 8-1 setback to Austin Peay.

A 6-3, 210-pound righty out of Cookeville, Tenn., Cannon toed the rubber for his 50^th career start in a UT Martin uniform, passing Michael Blount (1995-98) for the top spot in school history. Cannon (4-4) was on top of his game but received a tough-luck loss after allowing three runs – all unearned – with a season-best eight strikeouts against zero walks.

Out of the bullpen, Seth Petry and Eric Steensma also tossed a scoreless inning as the Skyhawk pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts and no free passes allowed.

Wil LaFollette moved his hitting streak to 10 games this afternoon, ripping a solo home run for UT Martin's lone run of the game. His blast in the second inning was the eighth of the season for the freshman right fielder from Chelsea, Ala., tying teammate Christian Hall for the team lead in home runs this season.

Overall, the Skyhawks put their leadoff batter on base in six different innings but could not solve opposing hurler Luke Brown, who threw a 98-pitch complete game.

Cannon recorded two quick outs in the first before an error extended the inning and allowed the Governors to take a 3-0 lead. He recovered nicely in the top of the second, piling up a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless frame.

LaFollette lifted the first pitch he saw for a towering home run over the centerfield wall in the bottom of the second, slicing the UT Martin deficit to 3-1.

Cannon retired the side in order in the top of the third and pitched around minor trouble in the fourth, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position after a strikeout and popout to shortstop.

After Cannon sat Austin Peay down in order on 13 pitches in the fifth, Ethan Whitley led off the bottom of the inning with a hard-hit double to left field. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate trying to tag up on a flyball to left field for the final out of the inning.

In his final inning of work, Cannon struck out the first two batters he faced before putting another zero in the scoreboard in the sixth.

The Governors scored four runs in the top of the seventh to make the score 7-1. Petry entered the contest midway through the inning and did not allow a run to cross the plate.

Steensma took over in the eighth and was very effective, firing 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes during a shutout appearance.

Meanwhile, the Skyhawk offense placed a runner aboard the basepaths in each of the final five innings but could not cash in. Blake Daniels led off the bottom of the ninth with a single up the middle but it did not faze Brown, who went the distance after retiring the next three hitters.

These two teams will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader that is slated to begin at 1 p.m.