UT MARTIN BREAKS OUT THE BATS IN 13-9 SERIES-OPENING TRIUMPH OVER OVC BASEBALL LEADER MOREHEAD STATE

Friday, April 28

Martin, Tenn.

5 p.m.

UT Martin

14-29, 8-8

Morehead State

25-15, 9-4

Morehead State

UT Martin

UT MARTIN BREAKS OUT THE BATS IN 13-9 SERIES-OPENING TRIUMPH OVER OVC BASEBALL LEADER MOREHEAD STATE

4/28/2023 9:48:00 PM | Baseball

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MARTIN, Tenn. – All nine members of the University of Tennessee at Martin starting lineup either scored or drove in a run as the Skyhawk baseball squad generated a 13-9 victory over Ohio Valley Conference-leading Morehead State today.

UT Martin recorded 16 hits and scored five of the first seven frames, breaking open a 7-7 tie with six runs spread across the sixth and seventh innings to improve to 14-29 overall and 8-8 in OVC play.

Will Smith had a career-high four RBI's – including a go-ahead run-scoring double in the sixth – while Mac Danford had four hits to guide several significant contributors to the Skyhawk offense. Caleb Hobson (2-for-3, three runs scored, two RBI's), Andrew Fernandez (3-for-5, two runs, two RBI's, two stolen bases) and Zac Rice (3-for-4, three runs scored, one RBI) also lifted UT Martin at the dish.

On the mound, Zach Wager (1-1) was awarded his first collegiate victory as the freshman tossed the final 1.2 scoreless innings, not allowing a hit while striking out a pair of Eagles. Baylor Jones also excelled in a high-leverage spot in the seventh, fanning a pair of batters in a shutout frame. Seth Petry was two outs away from a quality start but received a no-decision following 5.1 innings of work.

Morehead State (25-15, 9-4 OVC) scored the first two runs of the contest but the Skyhawks erupted for the next seven runs of the game. That stretch started with a four-spot in the bottom of the second as all of their runs came with two outs. Jack Culumovic walked to lead off the inning and moved ahead 90 feet on a Blaze Bell single. Rice followed with an RBI single to get UT Martin on the scoreboard before Hobson split the gap in right center for a two-run triple, giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the day. Fernandez added an RBI single to push UT Martin on top by a 4-2 margin.

After a shutdown top of the third from Petry, the Skyhawks piled on another run in the bottom half. Culumovic was issued another walk and two pitches later, Danford roped an RBI double to push UT Martin's advantage out to 5-2.

Petry was responsible for another scoreless frame in the fourth, allowing the Skyhawks to extend their lead even more. Rice led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and following a Fernandez single, Smith went the opposite way for a two-run single, making the score 7-2 in favor of UT Martin.

Petry mowed down the Eagles in the top of the fifth before Morehead State tied the score at 7-all after its turn up to the plate in the top of the sixth.

That's when the Skyhawk scoring spree continued as UT Martin pushed across three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. With the score knotted at 7-all, Smith delivered a go-ahead RBI double that plated Hobson (who reached on a walk). The Skyhawks then scored on both a passed ball and a wild pitch to lead 10-7 after six innings.

Jones struck out the final two batters he faced in another shutdown inning for the UT Martin hurlers. The Skyhawks collected three more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh as Fernandez had an RBI single before Smith and Hunter McLean each lifted sacrifice flies.

The Eagles were able to score twice in the eighth but Wager made his appearance later in the frame and proceeded to pitch lights-out once again en route to the win.

Game 2 of the three-game weekend series between UT Martin and Morehead State is set for 3 p.m. tomorrow at Skyhawk Field.