MARTIN, Tenn.– The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team got off to a hot start this afternoon but fell 18-8 to Murray State to wrap up a two-game midweek series.
Mac Danford extended his career-high home run total by taking his 12th and 13th round trips of the season, driving in three runs to pace the Skyhawk offense. It marked the third multi-home run effort in the two-year UT Martin career of the senior third baseman from Grand Ridge, Fla.
Jalen Fithian went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Alec Beaman reached base safely three times (2-for-2 with a walk). Additionally, Zac Rice (home run) and Blaze Bell (two RBI’s) contributed to the Skyhawks offensively.
It was a staff day for UT Martin on the mound as freshman Silas Jones made his second career start. Campbell Cleveland needed just 16 pitches to breeze through 1.2 no-hit frames out of the bullpen as nine different Skyhawks saw action on the hill.
UT Martin (18-27) took the early advantage with five runs on five straight hits to lead off the game. After Fithian doubled and Andrew Fernandez reached on a single, Will Smith laced an RBI single through the right side. Bell added on with a two-run double to right center field before Danford rocked an 0-1 pitch over the wall in center field to make it 5-0 in favor of the Skyhawks in the blink of an eye.
The Racers (28-17) scored four runs in the bottom of the first before Rice slugged his seventh homer of the season to lead off the top of the second, making the score 6-4.
Eli Martin (0-1) was the first UT Martin reliever summoned from the bullpen as he did not allow a hit but Murray State scored four runs in the bottom of the second.
The Racers added a run in the third before Shawn Perez made his third appearance of the season, tossing a scoreless bottom of the fourth to keep the Skyhawks within striking distance at 9-6.
Cleveland recorded the final two outs in the fifth after Murray State scored four runs in the inning. A leadoff triple by Beaman in the sixth led to a Fithian RBI single to give UT Martin its seventh run of the day.
Cleveland kept his slate clean by collecting a punchout and a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth. Danford connected for his second bomb of the day in the top of the seventh, this time pulverizing a 2-2 offering over the left field wall.
However, Murray State was able to end the contest with five runs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Skyhawks will now shift their focus to a road Ohio Valley Conference series at Morehead State, beginning on Friday, May 3 at 4 p.m. CT.
