UT Martin Falls in Doubleheader Against Nicholls

Saturday, February 21

Thibodaux, La.

3 p.m.

UT Martin

3-2

Nicholls

1-6

UT Martin

Nicholls

Photo by: Jailen Leach-Nicholls Athletics

UT Martin Falls in Doubleheader Against Nicholls

2/21/2026 11:53:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1: Stats PDF Game 2: Stats PDF

THIBODAUX, La.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell in its doubleheader against Nicholls at Ray Didier Field. The Colonels took both games 9-8 and 13-5, respectively.

Game 1: UTM 8, NICH 9
Both offenses got flowing as there were only two innings without a run scored in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Four Skyhawks had two hit games with Bo Strickland (two doubles, one run scored, one RBI, one walk), Andrew Davis (two walks, two runs scored, two stolen bases), Colten Payton (two RBIs, one run scored) and JT Popick (double, run scored) all getting two knocks. Garner Anderson added a double to UT Martin's extra base hit total.

Maxwell Schumacher (two strikeouts) went five innings and was followed by Jake DeValk (2.1 innings, three strikeouts), Gehrig Wright (0-2) and Silas Jones (0.2 innings, one strikeout).

Nicholls assumed a 1-0 lead after the first and that was quickly answered by a four-run second by the Skyhawks. Anderson doubled home two runs and was brought home in the next at-bat by Tommy Koch on a single. Strickland kept his big weekend rolling on an RBI double to give UT Martin a 4-1 advantage.

The Colonels had cut the Skyhawks' lead to one going into the fifth inning with the top of the order due up. With one out, TJ Dunsford plated Davis on a single to right field that made it 5-3. Nicholls would take the lead back in the home half to lead 6-5 as the game moved to the sixth.

DeValk relieved Schumacher and started his series with a 1-2-3 frame during the sixth. The back-and-forth battle continued in the top of the seventh when Dunsford's sacrifice fly tied the game at six. With two runners on, Payton delivered by driving in both runs giving UT Martin an 8-6 lead.

DeValk remained stout on an inning-ending punchout to leave a runner stranded in the bottom of the seventh.

The Colonels used a three-run ninth inning to carry them to a series-tying win, 9-8.

Game 2: UTM 5, NICH 13
UT Martin (3-3) landed three two hit performances from Colten Payton (run scored), Garner Anderson (home run, two RBIs, walk, run scored) and Cullen Box (double, home run, RBI, run scored). TJ Grines stole two bases and scored a run.

Cason Sharp (0-1, 4.1 innings, one strikeout) began the contest while Aidan Karns (1.1 innings, on strikeout), Drake Bayles (1.1 innings, one strikeout) and Trevor Busyn (1 inning, one strikeout) had appearances out of the bullpen.

Grines manufactured the game's first run when he got aboard on catcher's interference. The Louisiana native stole second and while stealing third scored on an error on the Colonel's catcher. Sharp stranded a runner in the home half of the first off of a popout, groundout and lineout.

Nicholls (2-6) added runs in the next three innings before the Skyhawks answered off a towering leadoff home run from Anderson that brought the UT Martin deficit to three. Aidan Karns entered in the home half of the fifth and halted anymore offense from the Colonels by inducing an unassisted double play from Davis.

The Skyhawks knocked down the Nicholls lead to five in the top of the eighth off of a Popick sacrifice fly and an Anderson single. Box hit his first career homer in the ninth, but it wasn't enough as the Colonels were able to hold on to the lead and win Game 3 of the weekend series.

UT Martin will go for a series split with Nicholls tomorrow at 1 p.m.