FLORENCE, Ala.– The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team found themselves in a pair of tight decisions today but dropped both ends of the North Alabama doubleheader to conclude the weekend series, falling 3-1 and 5-2.
The Skyhawk pitching staff was excellent today, producing a 2.57 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP over 14 frames. Four UT Martin hurlers combined to allow just one extra-base hit on the day while only issuing four walks.
Eric Steensma (1-2) started the seven-inning Game 1 and went the distance, striking out six with only two earned runs allowed. In the nightcap, Jeb Bartle came out of the bullpen and put together a phenomenal outing (6.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts) while Zach Wager also did not concede an earned run in one frame in relief of starter Choyce Diffey (1-1).
Zac Rice (3-for-7 with a run scored), Jalen Fithian (double, one RBI), Jackson Cooke (2-for-4), Cameron Brady (double, run scored), Mac Danford (RBI) and Andrew Fernandez (run scored) each contributed to the Skyhawk offense today.
UT Martin (5-11) will reset and focus on a midweek game with in-state rival Belmont on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 p.m.
Game 1: UNA 3, UTM 1
The first matchup of the day was a classic pitcher’s duel as both sides combined for just eight hits.
Steensma was locked in from the jump as the righty from Western Springs, Ill. retired the first seven batters he faced. An unearned run crossed the plate for the Lions in the third inning before North Alabama scored once more in the bottom of the fourth.
The Lions played small ball in the fifth, scoring a run after a bunt single, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly made the score 3-0.
The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth as Rice singled for his second hit of the game. Fernandez followed with a walk before back-to-back wild pitches – sandwiched between a Cole Smith hit by pitch – trimmed UT Martin’s deficit to 3-1. The bases were loaded after Blaze Bell was hit by a pitch with two away but North Alabama escaped the jam.
Steensma blew away the Lions in his final inning of work, piling up three strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth.
With momentum seemingly on the Skyhawks’ side in the top of the seventh, UT Martin put the potential game-tying run in scoring position after Fithian (single) and Rice (walk) reached with one away. However, North Alabama once again got out of the inning unscathed.
Game 2: UNA 5, UTM 2
The Lions (6-9) scored four runs (two earned) in the first inning and that was enough to hold up the rest of the way.
Bartle entered the game in the first inning and soon started mowing down the North Alabama lineup. The sophomore right-hander out of Cullman, Ala. at one point sat down 10 straight batters as part of retiring 17 of his last 19 hitters from the second through seventh innings. That included flawless three-up, three-down frames in the third, fourth and sixth innings – needing just eight pitches in each of those innings to retire the side.
Meanwhile, a leadoff walk by Fernandez in the top of the fourth led to a run when Danford drove him in with two outs. In the following inning, Brady doubled down the left field line and eventually came into score on a Fithian sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2.
The Lions pushed across an unearned run in the eighth, the first time they had scored since the opening inning. Despite the fact that the Skyhawks got the leadoff man on base in each of the final two frames, the visitors could not mount a comeback.
