Sunday, April 10
Martin, Tenn.
1 p.m.
UT Martin
8-21, 1-8
10
vs
12
Austin Peay
13-20, 6-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Austin Peay
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
2
6
12
15
1
UT Martin
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
6
10
12
0
SKYHAWKS HAUL IN EIGHT SCORES OVER FINAL TWO INNINGS; NEARLY ERASE EIGHT-RUN DEFICIT VS. AUSTIN PEAY
4/10/2022 5:48:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – A furious 8th and 9th-inning rally from the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team – a sequence which included 16 at-bats, two doubles, a triple, and a solo home run to right center – almost granted the Skyhawks a stunning comeback on Sunday afternoon after facing an eight-run hole in the final stanza. Despite the late-game UTM avalanche, the Austin Peay Governors would escape Game 3 with a nervous victory, completely flipping a defensive-minded first half into a 12-10 final decision that finished off an Ohio Valley Conference sweep.
Nearly everyone with a bat in their hands contributed in some way to the Skyhawks' turbulent recuperation over the final two innings, greatly expanding upon a two-run spurt in the bottom of the 4th frame that kicked off the afternoon's tidal wave of hits and scores. Altogether, both sides added up for 27 connections at the plate in a wild contrast to how this conference set began two days ago and over the first six innings of Sunday's finale.
Things may have wrapped up with a run extravaganza, although UTM starting pitcher Matt Dickey ensured the prelude wouldn't go in that direction, piling up an individual season-best eight strikeouts out of 21 batters faced, canning six of his first nine hitters en route to an ultra-effective six-inning stint on the mound.
Holding a Governors lineup that had erupted for 21 hits the previous day to zeros on the scoreboard over the first five innings, Dickey and the rest of the Skyhawk defense enacted a sensational reset in their pursuit of a Game 3 win. Thanks to an RBI-single from centerfielder Reid Halfacre and a walk with the bases juiced in the 4th, UTM was well on their way to accomplishing that goal with a 2-0 lead.
Suddenly finding themselves trailing by four approaching the bottom of the 8th, the lightbulb would appear over the Skyhawks' heads with a two-inning sequence the likes of which hadn't been seen in 2022. After Wil LaFollette launched a double down the first-base line and Alec Beaman was struck by a pitch, sophomore Nate Self flung arguably the biggest hit of his collegiate career with a two-RBI triple to whittle the lead down to a deuce.
It looked as if Austin Peay had done enough to distance themselves in their next turn with a six-inning eruption in the top of the 9th, although the navy and orange responded by advancing through their entire order in one sitting across the final chapter, started by a solo homer from lead-off man Will Smith, the seventh shot past the wall of the second-year player's career.
The rally was only just beginning for head coach Ryan Jenkins' club, as pinch hitter Blaze Bell – appearing for the first time since February 26 – catapulted a centerfield double that bounced off the wall, bringing home Ethan Whitley and Casey Harford.
Only minutes later, Bell came back around the diamond alongside LaFollette – the third run of the afternoon for the latter – after the team's fourth double of the day from catcher Cameron Brady that trimmed the once-overwhelming lead down to three.
It got even more nerve-wracking for the Governors in a hurry once Brady escalated the run count to double digits on an RBI-ground out, although the exuberant comeback attempt would end there to finish off at 12-10.
Halfacre, Self, Brady, and Bell loaded up for eight RBI amongst themselves with two apiece near the bottom of the Skyhawks' order, where LaFollette wrapped up his day with a powerful three hits and three runs while boosting his team-best doubles total to eight on the year.
Now boasting 72 extra-base hits this spring after six more of them today, UT Martin exits the weekend with a record of 8-21 after coming ever so close to stealing a W from Austin Peay in the series climax.
Tucker Reed, Blake Davis, Baylor Jones, and Trey Ricko threw the last three frames of the tight loss, where the Skyhawks will now set their sights to another sequence of road meetings that will begin 48 hours from now.
Making the short drive to Jackson, Tenn. on Tuesday for a one-and-done with Union University, UTM returns to OVC competition two days later in another quick trip to Murray State, beginning that three-game series a day early to account for the Easter holiday. Dealing with the Bulldogs before the Racers, first pitch against Union on April 12th is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Nearly everyone with a bat in their hands contributed in some way to the Skyhawks' turbulent recuperation over the final two innings, greatly expanding upon a two-run spurt in the bottom of the 4th frame that kicked off the afternoon's tidal wave of hits and scores. Altogether, both sides added up for 27 connections at the plate in a wild contrast to how this conference set began two days ago and over the first six innings of Sunday's finale.
Things may have wrapped up with a run extravaganza, although UTM starting pitcher Matt Dickey ensured the prelude wouldn't go in that direction, piling up an individual season-best eight strikeouts out of 21 batters faced, canning six of his first nine hitters en route to an ultra-effective six-inning stint on the mound.
Holding a Governors lineup that had erupted for 21 hits the previous day to zeros on the scoreboard over the first five innings, Dickey and the rest of the Skyhawk defense enacted a sensational reset in their pursuit of a Game 3 win. Thanks to an RBI-single from centerfielder Reid Halfacre and a walk with the bases juiced in the 4th, UTM was well on their way to accomplishing that goal with a 2-0 lead.
Suddenly finding themselves trailing by four approaching the bottom of the 8th, the lightbulb would appear over the Skyhawks' heads with a two-inning sequence the likes of which hadn't been seen in 2022. After Wil LaFollette launched a double down the first-base line and Alec Beaman was struck by a pitch, sophomore Nate Self flung arguably the biggest hit of his collegiate career with a two-RBI triple to whittle the lead down to a deuce.
It looked as if Austin Peay had done enough to distance themselves in their next turn with a six-inning eruption in the top of the 9th, although the navy and orange responded by advancing through their entire order in one sitting across the final chapter, started by a solo homer from lead-off man Will Smith, the seventh shot past the wall of the second-year player's career.
The rally was only just beginning for head coach Ryan Jenkins' club, as pinch hitter Blaze Bell – appearing for the first time since February 26 – catapulted a centerfield double that bounced off the wall, bringing home Ethan Whitley and Casey Harford.
Only minutes later, Bell came back around the diamond alongside LaFollette – the third run of the afternoon for the latter – after the team's fourth double of the day from catcher Cameron Brady that trimmed the once-overwhelming lead down to three.
It got even more nerve-wracking for the Governors in a hurry once Brady escalated the run count to double digits on an RBI-ground out, although the exuberant comeback attempt would end there to finish off at 12-10.
Halfacre, Self, Brady, and Bell loaded up for eight RBI amongst themselves with two apiece near the bottom of the Skyhawks' order, where LaFollette wrapped up his day with a powerful three hits and three runs while boosting his team-best doubles total to eight on the year.
Now boasting 72 extra-base hits this spring after six more of them today, UT Martin exits the weekend with a record of 8-21 after coming ever so close to stealing a W from Austin Peay in the series climax.
Tucker Reed, Blake Davis, Baylor Jones, and Trey Ricko threw the last three frames of the tight loss, where the Skyhawks will now set their sights to another sequence of road meetings that will begin 48 hours from now.
Making the short drive to Jackson, Tenn. on Tuesday for a one-and-done with Union University, UTM returns to OVC competition two days later in another quick trip to Murray State, beginning that three-game series a day early to account for the Easter holiday. Dealing with the Bulldogs before the Racers, first pitch against Union on April 12th is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: JULA, Peyton (1-1)
L: Reed, Tucker (0-2)
Batting:
2B: AVROS, Gino 1 ; DeLANCEY, Ty 1 ; ROBINSON, Michael 1 ; BOLTON, John 1
HR: BARKSDALE, Nathan 1
RBI: BEAMON, Jonah 1 ; DeLANCEY, Ty 1 ; ALEXANDER, Jack 2 ; BARKSDALE, Nathan 3 ; McDONALD, John 1 ; ROBINSON, Michael 2 ; GUTHRIE, Knaje 1
SH: BOLTON, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: AVROS, Gino 1 ; BEAMON, Jonah 2 ; DeLANCEY, Ty 2 ; ALEXANDER, Jack 1 ; BROWN, Harrison 1 ; BARKSDALE, Nathan 1 ; McDONALD, John 1 ; ROBINSON, Michael 1 ; BOLTON, John 1 ; GUTHRIE, Knaje 1
SB: BEAMON, Jonah 1 ; BROWN, Harrison 1
HBP: AVROS, Gino 1
PO: BROWN, Harrison 1
Batting:
2B: Whitley, Ethan 1 ; LaFollette, Wil 1 ; Bell, Blaze 1 ; Brady, Cameron 1
3B: Self, Nate 1
HR: Smith, Will 1
RBI: Smith, Will 1 ; Culumovic, Jack 1 ; Bell, Blaze 2 ; Brady, Cameron 2 ; Self, Nate 2 ; Halfacre, Reid 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Will 1 ; Harford, Casey 1 ; Whitley, Ethan 1 ; LaFollette, Wil 3 ; Beaman, Alec 2 ; Bell, Blaze 1 ; Brady, Cameron 1
HBP: Smith, Will 1 ; Whitley, Ethan 1 ; Beaman, Alec 2 ; Self, Nate 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
C/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF/1B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF/RHP
/ Baseball
1B
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