SKYHAWK BASEBALL DROPS SECOND GAME OF LITTLE ROCK SERIES, 8-3

Friday, April 7

Little Rock, Ark.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

9-23, 0

Little Rock

16-11, 0

UT Martin

Little Rock

SKYHAWK BASEBALL DROPS SECOND GAME OF LITTLE ROCK SERIES, 8-3

4/7/2023 8:01:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score PDF Boxscore

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball squad ran into some tough pitching today at Little Rock, falling by an 8-3 margin in the middle game of the Ohio Valley Conference series at Gary Hogan Field.

The Skyhawks, who entered the day as the OVC leader with 267 hits on the season, were held to a season-low two base knocks. Despite that, UT Martin (9-23, 4-4 OVC) pushed across three runs in the top of the third and briefly held a lead but the Trojans retook the advantage in the bottom half and never relinquished the lead from that point forward.

Andrew Fernandez had an RBI and a run scored for the Skyhawks while Will Smith and Jack Culumovic also drove in one run apiece. Caleb Hobson and Zac Rice each stole a base and scored a run for UT Martin today.

On the pitching side, Tucker Reed (0.2 frames) and Zach Wager (three innings) each accounted for scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. Wager allowed only two hits while striking out four batters, tossing the final three frames. Jordan Armstrong (1-4) made the start and pitched 4.1 innings as the three Skyhawk hurlers combined to only issue two walks and allow three extra-base hits (all doubles).

Little Rock (16-11, 5-3 OVC) scored a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the first inning. Armstrong pitched around a one-out single in the bottom of the second, shutting out the Trojan bats in that frame.

UT Martin took its lead in the top of the third. Rice was issued a one-out walk and promptly stole second base ahead of a Hobson 10-pitch plate appearance that ended in a walk. Fernandez followed with a clean RBI single through the right side to score Rice. Hobson came around to score on a Smith RBI before Blaze Bell singled to load the bases with one away. Culumovic then gave the Skyhawks their first lead of the contest with a sacrifice fly out to deep left field, making the score 3-2 in favor of UT Martin.

The Trojans retook the lead with a pair of runs in their next at-bat. After the go-ahead run scored on a balk, Bell provided heads up defense by cutting down a runner at the plate trying to advance on a fielder's choice.

Armstrong retired the side in order on just 10 pitches in the fourth. Hobson led off the fifth and was hit by a pitch before stealing second base, his OVC-best 21^st swipe of the spring. Unfortunately, the Skyhawks could not cash in on a runner in scoring position.

Little Rock added four runs in the bottom of the fifth before Reed entered the game and stranded a pair of runners.

Wager took over in the sixth and at one point struck out four consecutive Trojans. The freshman southpaw mowed through the 12 Little Rock batters he faced, constantly working ahead by firing 27 of his 42 pitches for strikes.

However, UT Martin's offense couldn't solve Trojan starter Noah Burkey, who went seven innings before giving way to Scott McDonough in the eighth and Erik McKnight in the ninth. The Skyhawks would not place another runner in scoring position after the fifth inning.

UT Martin closes out the three-game set tomorrow at 1 p.m. as redshirt junior right-hander Eric Steensma (2-1, 5.76 ERA) is expected to oppose Little Rock righty Preston Davis (3-1, 2.78).