Skyhawk's Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Western Illinois

Saturday, April 12

Martin, Tenn.

3 p.m.

UT Martin

13-21, 4-6

Western Illinois

8-22, 3-8

Western Illinois

UT Martin

Skyhawk's Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Western Illinois

4/12/2025 10:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team rallied from down five runs to pull the game within one, but ultimately fell 7-6 to Western Illinois.

Jalen Fithian led the Skyhawks (13-21, 4-6 Ohio Valley Conference) with two hits (one double) and three RBIs. Blaze Bell and JT Popick (stolen base, run scored) drove in runs while Garner Anderson (double, run scored, stolen base), Brody Capps (two walks), Jordan Hudson (run scored), Arderrius Townsend (double, one walk), Jonah Katsaboulas (stolen base, run scored), Tommy Koch (run scored) and Cameron Greene (two walks, run scored, stolen base) had base hits.

Zach Wager (3-5, 4.1 innings pitched, three strikeouts) started for UT Martin with Brandon King (2.2 innings pitched, no runs, no walks) and Jeb Bartle (two innings pitched, two strikeouts, no walks, no runs) making appearances out of the bullpen.

The Skyhawks responded to first inning runs by Western Illinois with an RBI generated from Bell on a fielder's choice in the home half. UT Martin was there for another answer to the Leathernecks offense when Greene and Popick successfully executed the double steal and Popick scored on a throwing error by the pitcher.

Wager worked a 1-2-3 inning in the third on three fly balls and ended the fourth frame with back-to-back flyouts. King induced two groundball outs and a flyout to centerfield that kept Western Illinois off the scoreboard in the sixth. Fithian stepped up to the plate in the bottom part of the inning with bases loaded and cleared them on a three-run double that brought the score to 7-5.

King finished his outing in the seventh with a groundout, flyout and an outfield assist by Anderson (second straight game with an outfield assist) to home plate that helped strand two runners. Popick got a ball deep enough to right field to plate Hudson and it became a one-run game with two innings to play.

With bases juiced and one out, Bartle fanned the final two batters of the eighth to start his day. The Skyhawk defense generated two outs on a pickoff from the catcher Koch to Capps and a runner caught stealing by the backstop to end the eighth inning. UT Martin got the tying-run into scoring position in the bottom of the ninth but wouldn't be able to bring him around.

The Skyhawks and Leathernecks will play the rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m.