UT Martin Wins Pitchers’ Duel 4-1 Over Morehead State

Friday, April 18

Martin, Tenn.

3 p.m.

UT Martin

Morehead State

UT Martin Wins Pitchers’ Duel 4-1 Over Morehead State

4/18/2025 9:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team evened up its Ohio Valley Conference series with Morehead State with a 4-1 triumph.

Jalen Fithian (home run) and JT Popick (double, two RBIs) tallied multi-hit games while Arderrius Townsend hit his team-leading eighth long ball of the year. Garner Anderson (one walk), Brody Capps (one walk, run scored), Jordan Hudson and Cameron Greene (one walk) were able to reach base in Friday's contest.

Zach Wager (4-5) had his best start of the season going 6.2 innings (season-best) with five strikeouts (season-high) and only one run allowed. Jeb Bartle nabbed the save after 2.1 innings pitched and three strikeouts while not allowing a hit or run.

In the first, Wager worked around a one-out double with a ground out, punchout and outfield assist from Hudson to stop the runner attempting to score from second. Fithian led off the home half in a big way from a solo shot to left field to get the Skyhawks (14-23, 5-8 OVC) the early lead.

1-2-3 is how the Eagles (12-24, 2-12 OVC) fell in the top of the second after Wager forced a strikeout, flyout and groundout. It was more of the same in the third for Wager, sitting down Morehead State in order and keeping its potent offense off the scoreboard. A two-out triple brought the tying run 90 feet away, but he would be stranded when Wager induced a flyball to foul ground that was caught by Jonah Katsaboulas for the third out of the fourth.

A lead-off single would be all the baserunners the Eagles could conjure up in the fifth after they fell to two flyouts in a row and ended the inning on Wager's fourth strikeout of the game. Morehead State got on the board in the sixth by way of a solo jack to right field, but then Townsend answered for UT Martin on a two-out towering shot over the left field wall to get the lead back for the home team.

Wager retired the first two batters of the seventh before Bartle came in to close out the inning with his first strikeout of the game. The Skyhawks ended a hitless eighth inning on Koch's 15^th runner caught stealing of the season to bring the game to the bottom part of the frame looking for insurance runs.

Bases were loaded with one down and Popick delivered a two-run double to the gap in right center that scored Capps and Townsend and upped the UT Martin advantage to three. Bartle earned his team-best third save in 1-2-3 fashion in the ninth after a strikeout, infield popup and groundout to first to help force the rubber match for Saturday.

The Skyhawks and Eagles will meet tomorrow a 1 p.m. to decide a series winner.