UT MARTIN BASEBALL PUTS UP A FIGHT BUT DROPS TIGHT 7-5 DECISION TO SOUTHERN INDIANA

Sunday, April 16

Martin, Tenn.

1 p.m.

UT Martin

11-26, 6-6

Southern Indiana

10-25, 3-9

Southern Indiana

UT Martin

UT MARTIN BASEBALL PUTS UP A FIGHT BUT DROPS TIGHT 7-5 DECISION TO SOUTHERN INDIANA

4/16/2023 5:16:00 PM | Baseball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – Today's Ohio Valley Conference baseball series finale between the University of Tennessee at Martin and Southern Indiana was knotted at 5-all through seven innings but the Screaming Eagles avoided a sweep with a 7-5 win at Skyhawk Field.

Zac Rice went 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored, a double and stolen base today for UT Martin (11-26, 6-6 OVC), who won the first two games of the series earlier in the weekend. Will Smith doubled twice to go along with a walk and two RBI's as the Skyhawks registered 11 hits.

The UT Martin pitching staff did not issue a walk today. Eric Steensma made the start and received a no-decision after going five innings. J. Henry Hobson followed with a pair of shutout frames before Campbell Cleveland (1-3) and Baylor Jones tossed the final two innings.

Gallery: (4-16-2023) Baseball vs Southern Indiana

Steensma used up only eight pitches to breeze through a perfect top of the first. Southern Indiana (10-25, 3-9 OVC) scored one run in the top of the second but Steensma soon recovered to retire the side in order in the third inning.

Rice legged out an infield single to lead off the bottom of the third and soon stole second base for his 10^th swipe of the spring. Smith then came through with a clutch two-out double down the third base line that plated Rice and evened the score at 1-all.

The Screaming Eagles scored twice (one unearned run) in the top of the fourth and managed two more runs in the top of the fifth, taking a 5-1 lead.

The Skyhawks pushed across four unanswered runs to tie the game, beginning with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Slade Taylor singled up the middle and advanced to third on a Rice double. Following a Caleb Hobson walk to load the bases, Smith showed incredible plate discipline to earn a walk, plating Taylor and trimming UT Martin's deficit to three runs.

J. Henry Hobson wrapped up the top of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, keeping Southern Indiana off the scoreboard.

In the bottom half, Culumovic led off the inning with a walk before Mac Danford was hit by a pitch. Blaze Bell then laid down a sacrifice bunt and Culumovic scored on the play thanks to a Screaming Eagle throwing error. Rice lifted a sacrifice fly to score Danford before Caleb Hobson lined a two-out RBI single to center to tie the score at 5-all.

J. Henry Hobson once again silenced the Southern Indiana bats in the top of the seventh – his final inning of work. The Screaming Eagles then scored once in the eighth and once in the ninth to go back on top by a 7-5 margin.

The Skyhawks were able to put two baserunners aboard in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but could not manufacture a run.

UT Martin rounds out a five-game homestand on Wednesday, April 19 when it faces Murray State. First pitch time has been pushed up to 2 p.m. at Skyhawk Field.