MARTIN, Tenn.– The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team battled until the end this afternoon but Little Rock prevailed in Game 2 of the weekend series, 9-6, at Skyhawk Field.
Blaze Bell and Andrew Fernandez each drove in two runs while Cole Smith (2-for-4 with an RBI), Jalen Fithian (run scored, RBI) and Will Smith (two runs scored, single and two walks) helped key the UT Martin offense. Zac Rice and Mac Danford also scored a run apiece for the Skyhawks, who drew 10 walks and had seven hits.
Eric Steensma (2-4) made the start for UT Martin matched his season-high with seven strikeouts over five innings. Kaleb Baskin and Choyce Diffey (1.2 frames) each posted scoreless appearances out of the bullpen for the Skyhawks (13-22, 5-6 Ohio Valley Conference).
Steensma tossed up zeroes on the scoreboard in each of the first two frames, helping UT Martin take a lead in the bottom of the second. After Danford drew a leadoff walk on eight pitches, he moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Bell. He then came around to score on a Fithian RBI single to break the scoreless tie.
The Trojans (18-16, 7-4 OVC) scored their first run of the series to level the score at 1-1 in the top of the third. Steensma registered his third straight multi-strikeout inning in the top of the fourth, keeping the score tied at 1-all.
After Little Rock scored four runs in the fifth, the Skyhawks responded with two runs in the home half. Rice (walk) and Will Smith (infield single) scored on RBI groundouts from Fernandez and Cole Smith to make it a 5-3 ballgame.
The Trojans scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh but UT Martin would come roaring back in the bottom of the seventh. Fernandez drove in Fithian with an RBI single before Bell brought in two runs with a single through the left side, plating Fernandez and Will Smith and trimming the Skyhawk deficit to 7-6 in the process.
Little Rock managed two runs in the top of the eighth before Diffey inherited a bases loaded jam and escaped unscathed with an inning-ending double play. Diffey sat down the Trojans in order on just 10 pitches in the top of the ninth, allowing UT Martin to bring the tying run to the dish in the bottom half. However, the Trojans eked out the win to even the series.
The rubber match is set for tomorrow at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ with live stats available.
