MARTIN, Tenn.– The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team exploded for eight runs in its final two innings to march past in-state foe Tennessee Tech 8-4 for the Ohio Valley Conference series sweep.
The win marked the first sweep over the Golden Eagles since 2019 and helped the Skyhawks take their fourth straight conference decision. The victory also moved UT Martin (18-25, 10-8 OVC) into a tie for second place in the league standings, just one game behind Little Rock for the top spot.
Will Smith homered to put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard while Hunter McLean hit a clutch go-ahead two-run blast in the seventh. Zac Rice doubled twice and made a pair of incredible grabs in centerfield while Mac Danford, Blaze Bell, Garner Anderson and Alec Beaman also drove in runs.
Jeb Bartle started the game on the mound and went six innings, only allowing two runs while striking out three batters. Brock Arender (1-2) secured his first collegiate win after providing two innings of scoreless relief and two strikeouts. Baylor Jones had the ninth inning, capping off the sweep.
The Golden Eagles (26-18, 10-8 OVC) scored once in each of the first two frames but Bartle limited the damage each time, stranding a pair of baserunners in both innings.
Those would be the only two runs that sophomore righty would allow. Bartle pitched around a runner in scoring position with nobody out in the third, his first of four clean innings to conclude his outing. He left a pair of runners stranded in the sixth, inducing a big flyout to keep the Skyhawks within striking distance.
The Skyhawks got their first baserunner of the game on a Cole Smith walk with two outs in the fifth. Rice delivered UT Martin’s first hit of the day with a double down the left field line with one away in the bottom of the sixth as the Skyhawks started to figure out Tennessee Tech’s starting pitcher Jaxson Pease.
In the bottom of the seventh, UT Martin took a lead it wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way. Will Smith drilled a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left center to begin the frame. After yet another Cole Smith walk with two outs, McLean jumped on the second pitch he saw from Pease and deposited it beyond the fence in right center, knocking Pease out of the game and making the score 3-2 in favor of the Skyhawks.
Arender, who previously struck out the first two batters he faced in the midst of a scoreless outing in the seventh, was nails in the eighth. The redshirt freshman southpaw got the first 1-2-3 inning of the day for the UT Martin pitching staff, quickly turning it over to his offense for some more insurance.
After Rice’s second double of the game, he came around to score on a Fithian bunt single and error on the same play. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Bell, who drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Danford (double), Anderson (sacrifice fly) and Beaman (infield single) also drove in runs in the five-run eighth inning, giving the Skyhawks an 8-2 advantage.
Tennessee Tech was able to tack on two runs in the top of the ninth but it wasn’t enough as UT Martin soared to the victory.
The Skyhawks will start next week with a midweek matchup against Murray State on Tuesday, April 30 at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
