UT MARTIN DISPLAYS SOUND PITCHING BUT COMES UP SHORT IN LITTLE ROCK BASEBALL SERIES FINALE

Saturday, April 8

Little Rock, Ark.

1 p.m.

UT Martin

9-24, 0

Little Rock

17-11, 0

UT Martin

Little Rock

UT MARTIN DISPLAYS SOUND PITCHING BUT COMES UP SHORT IN LITTLE ROCK BASEBALL SERIES FINALE

4/8/2023 6:46:00 PM | Baseball

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A trio of University of Tennessee at Martin hurlers held Little Rock to three earned runs this afternoon but the Skyhawks fell by a 4-2 margin in an Ohio Valley Conference baseball showdown.

Eric Steensma (2-2) drew the starting assignment and blanked the Trojans through four innings before exiting in the fifth. The UT Martin bullpen duo of J. Henry Hobson (four strikeouts over 2.2 innings) and Campbell Cleveland (one inning) did not concede an earned run to complete the contest.

Offensively, Will Smith posted an RBI while Caleb Hobson stole a base and scored a run for the Skyhawks (9-24, 4-5 OVC). Slade Taylor also scored a run while Hunter McLean did not record an official at-bat but reached base safely four times (two walks, two times hit by pitch).

Steensma coasted early as the game was scoreless through four innings. He recorded a strikeout in each of the first two frames before stranding a runner on third base in the third inning. He followed that with an 11-pitch frame in the bottom of the fourth to shut out the Little Rock bats through four innings of work.

The UT Martin offense showed signs of breaking through early in the game. Caleb Hobson (double) and Andrew Fernandez (walk) both reached base in the first inning before the Skyhawks loaded the bases (Blaze Bell walk, McLean hit by pitch, Cameron Brady walk) in the top of the second. After the Trojans pitched in and out of trouble in those two innings, UT Martin got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth.

Brady was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before pinch runner Taylor moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Zac Rice. After a Fernandez single, Taylor trotted home on a Smith RBI single to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 advantage.

Little Rock (17-11, 6-3 OVC) tallied three runs in its half of the fifth but J. Henry Hobson, who entered mid-inning, stranded a pair of runners to keep UT Martin within striking distance.

The first two Skyhawk hitters reached base in the sixth as Jack Culumovic singled through the right side and McLean was hit by a pitch. However, UT Martin could not generate a run.

The Trojans generated an unearned run in the sixth but the Skyhawks threatened in their next turn up to bat. Caleb Hobson reached on an error and soon stole second base with two away. He then came in to score on an error to trim UT Martin's deficit to 4-2.

J. Henry Hobson was responsible for a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless seventh while Cleveland followed with a shutout frame in the eighth.

The Skyhawks brought the tying run to the plate early in the top of the ninth after Rice doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Once again, Little Rock worked through a jam and was able to claim the win.

UT Martin is back at home for its next five games, beginning with a Wednesday, April 12 outing against Austin Peay at 6 p.m.