UT Martin Swipes School Record Eight Stolen Bases in 7-6 Win Over Southern Illinois

Wednesday, March 18

Carbondale, Ill.

6 p.m.

UT Martin

10-10

Southern Illinois

8-11

UT Martin

Southern Ill.

UT Martin Swipes School Record Eight Stolen Bases in 7-6 Win Over Southern Illinois

3/18/2026 11:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

CARBONDALE, Ill.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team established a new single-game school record for stolen bases when it swiped eight bags in its 7-6 win in 10 innings over Southern Illinois. The previous school record of seven stolen bases in one game stood for 40 years (set in 1986).

Every Skyhawk in the lineup reached base safely with TJ Grines (two doubles, stolen base), Cameron Greene (run scored, stolen base) and Andrew Lawrence (game-winning RBI, two stolen bases) tallying two hits for UT Martin (10-10). TJ Dunsford (double), Colten Payton (walk), Andrew Davis (walk, stolen base) and Bo Strickland (two stolen bases) tacked on RBIs while Garner Anderson (walk, stolen base) and JT Popick (walk) also added on pressure to the Southern Illinois (8-11) defense.

Drake Bayles started the contest by going two innings with two strikeouts. The Skyhawk bullpen was made up of Cason Sharp (team-best four innings, four strikeouts), Silas Jones (two innings), Mason Little (2-0, one inning, no runs allowed, no hits allowed), Gehrig Wright (0.1 innings) and Gabe Bryant (save, 0.2 innings, no hits, no runs), respectively.

UT Martin got on top early off a Payton groundout to second base that allowed Grines to score from third. Dunsford was the next batter up and he brought home Davis on his eighth double of the year. After a Saluki run in the home half, the Skyhawks answered with a three-run top of the second that was fueled by history on the base paths. Greene scored via an error and then Lawrence was plated by a Strickland single to left field. As Davis was attempting to steal second base, Strickland snuck home that brought the score to 5-1 on the fourth stolen base of the inning (tied a program record for most stolen bases in an inning, four).

Bayles escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second to conclude his outing and keep UT Martin in front. Sharp spun four straight scoreless innings for the Skyhawks to lead 5-2 after the sixth. Grines led off the top of the seventh on a double and scored from a Davis sacrifice fly for a four-run advantage. Southern Illinois was able to tie the game in the eighth and had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth. Little made sure that wouldn't happen by inducing an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play.

The Skyhawks loaded the bases in the top of the tenth and with one out in the frame, Lawrence came through in his UT Martin debut by bringing in Amari Conley on a groundout to second base. Wright took the first out of the ninth then Bryant earned his first save of the season on a flyout and lineout to give the Skyhawks a 7-6 victory.

UT Martin begins Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend in Cape Girardeau, Mo against Southeast Missouri on Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m.