UT Martin
22-33
Illinois
25-25
FOUR UT MARTIN HITTERS PRODUCE MULTI-HIT GAMES AS BASEBALL REGULAR SEASON WRAPS UP AT ILLINOIS
5/20/2023 7:23:00 PM | Baseball
UT Martin (22-33) saw four players record multi-hit games today, led by leadoff man Caleb Hobson (three hits, walk, run scored, RBI, stolen base). Mac Danford doubled twice while driving in three runs while freshman Jackson Cooke creamed his first career homer, a two-run shot as part of a six-run top of the fourth.
Blaze Bell and Benny DeTrude each had two hits, a walk and scored a run for the Skyhawks while Alec Beaman, Jonah Wichman and Travis Stauter also scored once apiece.
Seven UT Martin hurlers made appearances on the mound today. Choyce Diffey started a series finale for the second straight weekend, going three solid innings. Tucker Reed, Colin Millar (0-2), Baylor Jones, Trey Ricko, Eli Martin and Nate Self also saw time on the hill this afternoon.
Diffey retired the side in order on just nine pitches in the bottom of the first before Illinois (25-25) scored twice in the second inning. He then kept the Fighting Illini scoreless in the bottom of the third, stranding the bases loaded to keep the score at 2-0.
A total of 11 Skyhawks marched to the plate during the aforementioned six-run top of the fourth as seven consecutive batters reached base safely after two outs were recorded. Bell led things off with a double before Cooke jumped on a 1-0 pitch for a two-run homer, evening the score. Stauter (hit by pitch), DeTrude (single) and Hobson (walk) loaded the bases for Beaman, who was hit by a pitch for an RBI. With the bases still juiced, Danford went the opposite way for a three-run double down the right field line, pushing UT Martin ahead by a 6- 2 margin.
Illinois scored twice in the bottom of the fourth but the Skyhawks got one run back in their half of the fifth. Wichman was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and advanced to second after DeTrude worked a walk. On the next pitch, Hobson lined an RBI single up the middle to plate Wichman for a 7-4 UT Martin advantage.
The Fighting Illini scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth and once in the sixth to reclaim the lead. The Skyhawks brought the tying run to the plate by loading the bases with one away in the top of the seventh but could not cut into their deficit.
Illinois was responsible for two runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings to provide the final 15-7 tally.
Following the conclusion of play across the Ohio Valley Conference today, UT Martin learned that it had earned the No. 3 seed in next week's OVC Championship. The Skyhawks make their tournament debut on Wednesday, May 24 against the winner of the No. 6 seed Tennessee Tech and No. 7 seed SIUE contest. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Ill.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tabeling, Logan (1-0)
L: Millar, Colin (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Hobson, Caleb 1 ; Danford, Mac 2 ; Bell, Blaze 1
HR: Cooke, Jackson 1
RBI: Hobson, Caleb 1 ; Beaman, Alec 1 ; Danford, Mac 3 ; Cooke, Jackson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hobson, Caleb 1 ; Beaman, Alec 1 ; Bell, Blaze 1 ; Wichman, Jonah 1 ; Cooke, Jackson 1 ; Stauter, Travis 1 ; DeTrude, Benny 1
SB: Hobson, Caleb 1
HBP: Beaman, Alec 1 ; Wichman, Jonah 1 ; Stauter, Travis 1
Batting:
2B: Comia, Branden 1 ; Janik, Camden 1 ; Schroeder, Jacob 1 ; Doligale, Danny 1 ; Hejza, Cal 1
HR: Comia, Branden 1 ; Quagliano, Coltin 1 ; Doligale, Danny 1 ; Harding, Brody 1
RBI: Comia, Branden 4 ; McDonald, Cam 1 ; Quagliano, Coltin 2 ; Westcott, Drake 1 ; Janik, Camden 1 ; Doligale, Danny 3 ; Hejza, Cal 1 ; Harding, Brody 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Comia, Branden 3 ; Hartleb, Zak 1 ; McDonald, Cam 2 ; Quagliano, Coltin 1 ; Janik, Camden 2 ; Schroeder, Jacob 1 ; Doligale, Danny 1 ; Hejza, Cal 1 ; Harding, Brody 2 ; Milton, Connor 1
SB: McDonald, Cam 1 ; Hejza, Cal 2 ; Harding, Brody 1
HBP: Janik, Camden 1 ; Harding, Brody 1
