Strong Pitching And Timely Hitting Guides UT Martin To Series Opening Win Over Western Illinois

Friday, April 11

Martin, Tenn.

5 p.m.

UT Martin

13-20, 4-5

Western Illinois

7-22, 2-8

Western Illinois

UT Martin

Strong Pitching And Timely Hitting Guides UT Martin To Series Opening Win Over Western Illinois

4/11/2025 10:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team used a complete effort to capture a 4-3 Game 1 victory against Western Illinois to start the weekend series.

Every player in the batting order either recorded a hit or drove in a run in UT Martin's sixth win at home in its last eight tries. Blaze Bell (one walk) and Tommy Koch (RBI, stolen base) doubled while Jalen Fithian (double), Brody Capps (one hit) and Jonah Katsaboulas helped drive in runs. Garner Anderson, Arderrius Townsend (stolen base), JT Popick and Cameron Greene (one walk) pitched in to help the Skyhawks outhit Western Illinois, 10-9.

Jacob Sitton (two strikeouts, two runs allowed) started the day on the mound for UT Martin (13-20, 4-5 Ohio Valley Conference) and went six innings for the third time in his last four outings. Jeb Bartle threw a flawless inning with two strikeouts while Mason Shropshire (3-1, one inning pitched, one strikeout) and Kaleb Baskin (save, one inning pitched, no runs, one strikeout) slammed the door in the final frames.

The Skyhawks jumped on the board first on a sacrifice fly from Capps after Sitton left a runner stranded in the top part of the inning for a scoreless frame. Two flyouts and a groundout to first helped Sitton post a 1-2-3 second inning which he followed up with a flyout and back-to-back groundouts to conclude the third.

A perfect inning was posted by Sitton in the fourth, but the Leathernecks (7-22, 2-8 OVC) broke through for a run in the fifth to knot the game up at one. The tie was short-lived as Fithian drove home Koch on a sacrifice fly to left field to pull UT Martin in front, 2-1.

Sitton finished his sixth inning of work off a groundout, backwards K and an outfield assist from Anderson who threw out what would've been the game-tying run at the plate for the third out of the frame. Bartle took over for Sitton after Western Illinois tied the game again and fanned two with a flyout to leave two runners in scoring position.

After a lead off single in the eighth, Shropshire put down three straight Leathernecks from a sacrifice bunt, flyout and strikeout swinging. The Skyhawks added two in the home half when Katsaboulas plated Capps from a fielder's choice and Koch continued his big day in the batter's box with a single through the left side that scored Bell.

Baskin took over for the ninth inning and stranded the game-tying run at second on a flyout to conclude the contest.

UT Martin takes on the Leathernecks tomorrow at 3 p.m. from Skyhawk Field.