Skyhawk's Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Eastern Illinois

Friday, April 24

Martin, Tenn.

5 p.m.

UT Martin

20-21, 6-10

Eastern Illinois

23-14, 11-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Eastern Illinois	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	9	2
UT Martin	0	1	0	1	0	3	0	0	2	7	11	0

Photo by: Stasi Solbrig/UTM Athletics

Skyhawk's Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against Eastern Illinois

4/24/2026 11:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team trailed by just one run heading into the ninth inning but was unable to complete its comeback and fell 9-7 in Game 1 of the weekend series to Eastern Illinois.

UT Martin (20-21, 6-10 Ohio Valley Conference) outhit the Panthers 11-9 with multi-hit games coming from Andrew Lawrence (double), Colten Payton (RBI), Garner Anderson (double) and Eli Huebner (double). TJ Grines (three RBIs) and TJ Dunsford homered while Andrew Davis drove in a run.

Jacob Sitton (6-2) threw three innings and struck out three while Silas Jones (three innings, no runs allowed, one strikeout), Gehrig Wright (one inning, not hits, no runs, two strikeouts), Will Turner (1.2 innings, one strikeout) and Mason Little (0.1 innings) pitched out of the bullpen.

Sitton started his day with two scoreless innings, and his offense claimed the lead in the bottom of the second when Dunsford hit a rocket over the wall in centerfield to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers (23-14, 11-5 OVC) pulled in front in the third but UT Martin cut into its deficit in the bottom of the fourth when Payton plated Lawrence from a single. Jones sat down three straight batters in the fifth to close out the inning and then spun a scoreless sixth.

The Skyhawks got to work in the home half of the sixth and cut the Eastern Illinois lead down to one. Grines mashed a two-run shot to the scoreboard in left field and Lawrence scored from an error to make it a 6-5 game. Wright dealt a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh and Turner pitched a perfect eighth to keep UT Martin within striking distance.

The Panthers scored insurance runs in the ninth and despite two runs for the Skyhawks in the home half, Eastern Illinois was able to prevail.

Tomorrow's game is set for 3 p.m. and can be listened to live on WUTM 90.3 FM.