SKYHAWKS DAZZLE ONCE MORE IN ELECTRIFYING 10-9 TRIUMPH OVER GOLDEN EAGLES TO ACHIEVE SERIES VICTORY

Sunday, April 24

Martin, Tenn.

1 p.m.

UT Martin

10-25, 3-12

Tennessee Tech

21-16, 5-7

Tennessee Tech

UT Martin

SKYHAWKS DAZZLE ONCE MORE IN ELECTRIFYING 10-9 TRIUMPH OVER GOLDEN EAGLES TO ACHIEVE SERIES VICTORY

4/24/2022 5:53:00 PM | Baseball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – Picking up right where they left off 24 hours after one of the most incredible offensive displays in school history, the University of Tennessee at Marin baseball team made it two in a row over Tennessee Tech in Sunday afternoon's series finale, again receiving a multitude of outstanding performances at the plate to outlast the Golden Eagles at home 10-9.

Successfully bouncing back from a high-scoring loss on Friday to overpower TTU by a combined score of 34-28 over the past two days, the Skyhawks' scintillating sequence of wins over their in-state foe have given the program three consecutive series wins against a visiting side that entered the weekend with quite the intimidating resume.

Now that the debris has cleared from UTM's offensive earthquake over the weekend, head coach Ryan Jenkins' club can admire a three-day period where the roster racked up 48 hits – 21 of them in the extra-base variety – on a .746 team slugging percentage and four separate innings recording four or more runs. A grand total of eight home runs (including four off the bat of shortstop Casey Harford) and 10 more doubles since Friday night have sent the Skyhawks' confidence soaring to new heights on the season following their third Ohio Valley Conference W of the semester.

Submitting their bid to the school record books for the second straight day, UT Martin's trifecta of triples on Sunday alone stands as only the third time since the program transitioned to the NCAA Division I level that the orange and blue poured in three of that kind in a single game, joining a 2004 performance versus Army and a 2009 explosion against Memphis for university-high honors.

Speaking specifically of the Game 3 clincher, the trio of Harford, Jack Culumovic, and Nate Self would account for seven of the team's 11 hits on Sunday next to a couple of scores batted in. Add a three-run moonshot past rightfield from Wil LaFollette – the sophomore's fifth homer of the year – in the bottom of the 5^th and a clutch defensive stand in the final frame, and UTM mixed all the ingredients for the series W, reaching a whopping 38 RBI over the past 72 hours.

After snagging two runs in the 3^rd stanza, UT Martin snowballed what eventually turned into a six-score 5^th inning once Harford boomed his seventh RBI of the weekend (and 27^th of the season) on a triple to send Alec Beaman home. Wrapping up an utterly tremendous three-day stretch that featured 27 total bases from Harford alone, the senior infielder sent the Golden Eagles packing with 11 total hits throughout the series, seven of which went for extra bases with four home runs, two doubles, and the aforementioned triple.

By the time that lofty 5^th frame had finished, the Skyhawks had extended their lead to 8-6 behind Culumovic's 20^th RBI of the spring, LaFollette's three-run bomb, and yet another triple from catcher Chance Merithew to score Nate Self. Two more insurance runs in the 6^th and 7^th innings paid off nicely for UTM in the grand scheme of things, who fended off a late TTU rally to claim the one-run victory.

Relieving starter Lawson Russell and senior Blake Davis – who took his second personal win of the season on the mound – right-hander Baylor Jones grabbed his second save of 2022 by going the final 3.1 innings and only giving up a pair of scores.

With all three bases occupied and the Skyhawks clinging to a one-run advantage, Jones denied the Golden Eagles a chance at the tie by forcing Tennessee Tech into leaving all their ducks on the pond. Altogether, the visitors stranded 11 runners in defeat to bring UTM their second pulse-pounding win in as many days.

Harford, LaFollette, Culumovic, and lead-off man Will Smith combined for an unreal 29 hits over the duration of the three-game set, helping the Skyhawks amass 40 runs against their conference rival and keep their mountain of momentum intact.

Interestingly, UT Martin now finds themselves two games back of the league's current eight-seed Morehead State, who serves as the orange and blue's next OVC opponent one week from now. However, the Skyhawks must first turn their attention to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday evening, traveling to Murfreesboro for a 6:00 start.

The Blue Raiders will enter the midweek affair with a 21-17 record out of Conference-USA, recently defeating Louisiana Tech in Ruston by a 6-3 margin in a 12-inning marathon that gave MTSU the series win outright. Tuesday's in-state trip to Middle Tennessee marks the beginning of a five-game road trek for UTM.