Saturday, April 23
Martin, Tenn.
3 p.m.
UT Martin
9-25, 2-12
24
vs
17
Tennessee Tech
21-15, 5-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Tennessee Tech
0
5
2
2
8
0
0
0
0
17
16
0
UT Martin
0
8
3
9
1
2
1
0
X
24
24
1
SKYHAWKS REACH SEVERAL PROGRAM RECORDS IN 24-RUN PERFORMANCE TO TOPPLE TENNESSEE TECH
4/23/2022 10:34:00 PM | Baseball
MARTIN, Tenn. – In an offensive showcase the likes of which hadn't been seen for quite some time – and in some facets, never prior reached – the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team nearly set the scoreboard ablaze in Saturday afternoon's wild outing against Tennessee Tech, smashing the Golden Eagles for 24 runs (the Skyhawks' most ever against an NCAA Division I opponent), eight doubles, five homers, and two separate innings of scoring eight or more times. By the time the dust settled on a helter skelter contest that featured a combined 41 runs and 20 extra-base hits, the orange and blue stood on top of the purple and gold by the frenetic final of 24-17.
Resembling more of a gridiron matchup than one on the diamond, the Skyhawks' offensive avalanche – involving all but two innings of scoring at least once – effectively tied the weekend series at one game apiece for the team's second Ohio Valley Conference W of the year. Grasping 47 total bases (the most for UTM in a single game in 18 years), the home side produced a litany of remarkable performances, although no one shined quite as bright as senior shortstop Casey Harford, who turned in a stat-line for the ages in the seven-run triumph.
As if a 4/5, two-run, two-RBI day in the series opener wasn't enough of a statement, Harford blasted three more homers in Game 2 alone, becoming the first UT Martin player in the history of the university to land four extra-base hits in one bout by adding a double to his ridiculous afternoon. Enjoying the same company as Gary Barfield in 1991 and Chad Wyatt in 1995 – although the only one of that group to go yard three times against a conference opponent – Harford's astonishing achievement wasn't the only noteworthy bullet point that the Skyhawks inked on Saturday.
The aforementioned eight doubles stand as the most for the program since an April 2006 contest vs. Saint Louis, while the 24 hits altogether hasn't been duplicated since a bout with Murray State six years back.
Approaching today's tussle, the all-time UT Martin record for runs in a single inning stood at eight, accomplished on numerous occasions. The Skyhawks cemented another flurry of that kind in the 2nd inning, before one-upping even that lofty figure with a new school-best nine runs in the bottom of the 4th. Over that three-inning stretch, UTM cascaded 19 hits to put themselves in front by a 20-9 margin, a hole too large for the Golden Eagles to escape from.
Listed among Harford's ethereal day at the plate was the first collegiate home run by freshman Blaze Bell next to a team-high six RBI, yet another long-ball by Jack Culumovic (to give the team five in all) beside three RBI and two runs, a 4/5 effort on two doubles and three runs batted in from Wil LaFollette, and a three-hit, four-run showing from second-baseman Alec Beaman. Eight UTM batters ended Game 2 with two hits or more in an otherworldly offensive day.
UTM's eight-run 2nd frame started and ended with a LaFollette RBI, while a Beaman base hit, sacrifice fly, Bell homer, and Harford homer were sandwiched in between. Another sacrifice fly and Harford repeat HR put the Skyhawks ahead 11-7 after three busy innings that would, unbeknownst to Tennessee Tech, get even busier in a hurry.
A pair of RBI doubles from centerfielder Will Smith and catcher Chance Merithew, Culumovic's three-run bomb, two singles from Beaman and Bell, and two TTU-assisted runs on a wild pitch and bases-loaded walk ballooned the advantage to 11 with only 24 outs recorded following the Skyhawks' record-breaking 4th stanza. The navy and orange would still dish out four more scores to give themselves an even larger cushion that kept their in-state foe at bay.
Harford's third rocket (and fourth of the series) in the bottom of the 5th preceded Smith's second run-scoring double of the day and Bell's sixth RBI in the next frame. LaFollette added in his team-best 11th double of the year in the 7th to bring home first-baseman Ethan Whitley, concluding the game's whirlwind style with a seven-score difference in favor of the Skyhawks.
Behind starting pitcher Jacob Smith, Matt Dickey and sophomore Tucker Reed occupied the mound for UTM in the Saturday sun. The latter grabbed his first 2022 win beside a solid 4.2 innings of work, striking out four batters out of 20 faced and helping preserve the W to bring the Skyhawks to a 9-25 record as a whole.
Now that the series victory in Game 3 tomorrow is within UT Martin's crosshairs, head coach Ryan Jenkins' unit will aim for the Sunday win at 1:00 to close what's already been a newsworthy weekend. Should the Skyhawks wrestle the series finale away from the Golden Eagles, it would be the third consecutive time that UTM has taken two out of three from their Volunteer State adversary.
Resembling more of a gridiron matchup than one on the diamond, the Skyhawks' offensive avalanche – involving all but two innings of scoring at least once – effectively tied the weekend series at one game apiece for the team's second Ohio Valley Conference W of the year. Grasping 47 total bases (the most for UTM in a single game in 18 years), the home side produced a litany of remarkable performances, although no one shined quite as bright as senior shortstop Casey Harford, who turned in a stat-line for the ages in the seven-run triumph.
As if a 4/5, two-run, two-RBI day in the series opener wasn't enough of a statement, Harford blasted three more homers in Game 2 alone, becoming the first UT Martin player in the history of the university to land four extra-base hits in one bout by adding a double to his ridiculous afternoon. Enjoying the same company as Gary Barfield in 1991 and Chad Wyatt in 1995 – although the only one of that group to go yard three times against a conference opponent – Harford's astonishing achievement wasn't the only noteworthy bullet point that the Skyhawks inked on Saturday.
The aforementioned eight doubles stand as the most for the program since an April 2006 contest vs. Saint Louis, while the 24 hits altogether hasn't been duplicated since a bout with Murray State six years back.
Approaching today's tussle, the all-time UT Martin record for runs in a single inning stood at eight, accomplished on numerous occasions. The Skyhawks cemented another flurry of that kind in the 2nd inning, before one-upping even that lofty figure with a new school-best nine runs in the bottom of the 4th. Over that three-inning stretch, UTM cascaded 19 hits to put themselves in front by a 20-9 margin, a hole too large for the Golden Eagles to escape from.
Listed among Harford's ethereal day at the plate was the first collegiate home run by freshman Blaze Bell next to a team-high six RBI, yet another long-ball by Jack Culumovic (to give the team five in all) beside three RBI and two runs, a 4/5 effort on two doubles and three runs batted in from Wil LaFollette, and a three-hit, four-run showing from second-baseman Alec Beaman. Eight UTM batters ended Game 2 with two hits or more in an otherworldly offensive day.
UTM's eight-run 2nd frame started and ended with a LaFollette RBI, while a Beaman base hit, sacrifice fly, Bell homer, and Harford homer were sandwiched in between. Another sacrifice fly and Harford repeat HR put the Skyhawks ahead 11-7 after three busy innings that would, unbeknownst to Tennessee Tech, get even busier in a hurry.
A pair of RBI doubles from centerfielder Will Smith and catcher Chance Merithew, Culumovic's three-run bomb, two singles from Beaman and Bell, and two TTU-assisted runs on a wild pitch and bases-loaded walk ballooned the advantage to 11 with only 24 outs recorded following the Skyhawks' record-breaking 4th stanza. The navy and orange would still dish out four more scores to give themselves an even larger cushion that kept their in-state foe at bay.
Harford's third rocket (and fourth of the series) in the bottom of the 5th preceded Smith's second run-scoring double of the day and Bell's sixth RBI in the next frame. LaFollette added in his team-best 11th double of the year in the 7th to bring home first-baseman Ethan Whitley, concluding the game's whirlwind style with a seven-score difference in favor of the Skyhawks.
Behind starting pitcher Jacob Smith, Matt Dickey and sophomore Tucker Reed occupied the mound for UTM in the Saturday sun. The latter grabbed his first 2022 win beside a solid 4.2 innings of work, striking out four batters out of 20 faced and helping preserve the W to bring the Skyhawks to a 9-25 record as a whole.
Now that the series victory in Game 3 tomorrow is within UT Martin's crosshairs, head coach Ryan Jenkins' unit will aim for the Sunday win at 1:00 to close what's already been a newsworthy weekend. Should the Skyhawks wrestle the series finale away from the Golden Eagles, it would be the third consecutive time that UTM has taken two out of three from their Volunteer State adversary.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Reed, Tucker (1-2)
L: GELORME, Matt (2-2)
Batting:
2B: GILLESPIE, Golston 1
HR: HINCHMAN, Jason 1 ; GILLILAND, Hayden 1 ; GUARDINO, Ryan 3 ; HATTIER, Noah 1
RBI: LACY, Gabe 3 ; HINCHMAN, Jason 2 ; GILLILAND, Hayden 1 ; GUARDINO, Ryan 5 ; LONG, Will 1 ; HATTIER, Noah 3 ; TURNER, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LACY, Gabe 1 ; HINCHMAN, Jason 1 ; GILLILAND, Hayden 2 ; GILLESPIE, Golston 3 ; GUARDINO, Ryan 4 ; LONG, Will 1 ; HATTIER, Noah 2 ; TURNER, Austin 3
HBP: GILLESPIE, Golston 1 ; LONG, Will 2
Batting:
2B: Smith, Will 2 ; Bell, Blaze 1 ; Harford, Casey 1 ; Whitley, Ethan 1 ; LaFollette, Wil 2 ; Merithew, Chance 1
HR: Bell, Blaze 1 ; Harford, Casey 3 ; Culumovic, Jack 1
RBI: Smith, Will 3 ; Bell, Blaze 6 ; Harford, Casey 4 ; Culumovic, Jack 3 ; LaFollette, Wil 3 ; Merithew, Chance 2 ; Beaman, Alec 2
SF: Smith, Will 1 ; Bell, Blaze 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Will 2 ; Bell, Blaze 2 ; Harford, Casey 4 ; Culumovic, Jack 2 ; Whitley, Ethan 3 ; LaFollette, Wil 2 ; Self, Nate 2 ; Merithew, Chance 3 ; Beaman, Alec 4
SB: Smith, Will 1
HBP: Culumovic, Jack 1 ; Whitley, Ethan 1 ; Self, Nate 2 ; Merithew, Chance 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
7
R
4
H
4
RBI
4
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
3
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
6
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballUTIL
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballOF/1B
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ Baseball
1B
/ BaseballSkyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 33
Monday, April 21
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 31
Thursday, April 10
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 30
Thursday, April 10
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 29
Thursday, April 10