Friday, March 25
Martin, Tenn.
5 p.m.
UT Martin
7-12, 0-1
3
vs
4
Eastern Illinois
14-4, 1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Illinois
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
4
9
0
UT Martin
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
3
5
0
UTM NEARLY ERASES THREE-RUN DEFICIT IN DEFENSIVE MELEE VS. EASTERN ILLINOIS
3/25/2022 9:38:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – In an OVC-opening game that emphatically epitomized the phrase "pitcher's duel", the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team ended their first of 24 matchups against league competitors with a 4-3 impediment against Eastern Illinois in a defensive lover's dream, calculating a whopping 34 strikeouts between both sides on Friday evening.
Sophomore righty Rhett Fetner and Panther starter Trevor Nicholson – a senior southpaw – waged war on one another from the mound in the Ohio Valley Conference's first chapter, garnering nine K's in seven innings for the former next to 14 for the latter over the same length. Even the relief pitchers picked up where Fetner and Nicholson left off, tossing 11 more batters between the three of them as defense prevailed more often than not.
Pitching may have taken center stage in the series-opener, although the Skyhawks looked as if the game was veering in a different direction after an RBI-single from first-baseman Ethan Whitley in the bottom of the 1st. The base-hit (scoring lead-off centerfielder Will Smith) gave UTM an early lead they would hold until the 4th frame, putting the pressure back on the offense to respond.
The navy and orange were up to the challenge despite the surgical precision of both starting pitchers, landing a pair of runs in the 7th inning courtesy of infielders Nate Self and Alec Beaman landing back-to-back hits that brought Chance Merithew home. Continuing the rally on a wild pitch with the bases juiced, the Skyhawks found themselves within a single run thanks to the terrific work of Fetner and reliever Tucker Reed not allowing EIU an avenue to score late.
Following the visitors' three-run burst in the top of the 4th, Fetner and Reed canned a combined 10 players over the final five innings for a season-best 14 as a unit. Unfortunately, the comeback attempt fell just shy due to Eastern Illinois' mirroring of UT Martin on the mound.
Tomorrow afternoon's sequel at Skyhawk Field is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. as UTM searches for a dose of payback, now sitting at 7-12 on the season.
Gallery: (3-25-2022) Baseball vs. Eastern Illinois
Sophomore righty Rhett Fetner and Panther starter Trevor Nicholson – a senior southpaw – waged war on one another from the mound in the Ohio Valley Conference's first chapter, garnering nine K's in seven innings for the former next to 14 for the latter over the same length. Even the relief pitchers picked up where Fetner and Nicholson left off, tossing 11 more batters between the three of them as defense prevailed more often than not.
Pitching may have taken center stage in the series-opener, although the Skyhawks looked as if the game was veering in a different direction after an RBI-single from first-baseman Ethan Whitley in the bottom of the 1st. The base-hit (scoring lead-off centerfielder Will Smith) gave UTM an early lead they would hold until the 4th frame, putting the pressure back on the offense to respond.
The navy and orange were up to the challenge despite the surgical precision of both starting pitchers, landing a pair of runs in the 7th inning courtesy of infielders Nate Self and Alec Beaman landing back-to-back hits that brought Chance Merithew home. Continuing the rally on a wild pitch with the bases juiced, the Skyhawks found themselves within a single run thanks to the terrific work of Fetner and reliever Tucker Reed not allowing EIU an avenue to score late.
Following the visitors' three-run burst in the top of the 4th, Fetner and Reed canned a combined 10 players over the final five innings for a season-best 14 as a unit. Unfortunately, the comeback attempt fell just shy due to Eastern Illinois' mirroring of UT Martin on the mound.
Tomorrow afternoon's sequel at Skyhawk Field is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. as UTM searches for a dose of payback, now sitting at 7-12 on the season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: NICHOLSON, T (4-0)
L: Fetner, Rhett (4-2)
S: ROBBINS, Z (6)
Batting:
2B: HAYMAN, B 1
HR: IGNOFFO, R 1
RBI: DILUCA, L 1 ; IGNOFFO, R 1 ; WORCESTER, C 1 ; GALLAHER, B 1
SH: RILEY, L 1
Base Running:
RUNS: IGNOFFO, R 1 ; AIDE, N 1 ; WORCESTER, C 1 ; HAYMAN, B 1
SB: RILEY, L 1 ; DILUCA, L 1 ; WORCESTER, C 3
Batting:
2B: Beaman, Alec 1
RBI: Whitley, Ethan 1 ; Beaman, Alec 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Will 1 ; Merithew, Chance 1 ; Self, Nate 1
HBP: Culumovic, Jack 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
rf/cf
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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