MARTIN, Tenn.- Trailing by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team rallied and took the series finale 10-6 over Samford in dramatic fashion by way of a walk-off grand slam from senior Arderrius Townsend.
Townsend finished the day with 4 RBI’s – all coming off the last swing of the game. Brody Capps putting forth a multi-hit game with two RBI’s while Blaze Bell (home run), Jonah Katsaboulas (two RBI’s), Jalen Fithian (two runs scored) and TJ Grines (two runs scored) also led a Skyhawk lineup that featured all nine starters either hitting safely or drawing a walk.
Quincy Thornton got the start on the mound and pitched 6.2 quality innings (career-high), compiling five strikeouts. Jeb Bartle (0.2 innings pitched, two strikeouts) and Mason Shropshire (1.2 innings pitched, no hits, no runs, one strikeout) came in out of the bullpen with Shropshire earning the win to improve to 2-1 on the season.
UT Martin (6-8) put up a zero on the scoreboard in the top of the first as the third out was made on a play at the plate thanks to a great throw from Garner Anderson and relay throw from Cameron Greene. That allowed the Skyhawks to score the game’s first run with a Grines RBI groundout in the bottom half of the frame.
Samford (8-8) tied things up in the next frame but that score was quickly broken up by Bell’s ninth career long ball in the home half to make it 2-1. Thornton pushed through the third with no hits allowed and UT Martin’s offense gave its starter another run via a Capps single that brought in Fithian in the bottom half.
Katsaboulas delivered an RBI single in the fifth that upped the UT Martin advantage to 4-1. Meanwhile, Thornton cruised through his fourth consecutive scoreless frame in the sixth, piling up an inning-ending strikeout for the third time in the sixth.
The Bulldogs brought in five runs over the seventh and eighth frames before Shropshire stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and tossed a shutout ninth.
Down two with their final three outs in front of them, the Skyhawks successfully passed the baton down the line with two outs – drawing three straight walks plus a hit by a pitch to tie the game at 6-all. With two away and a 2-2 count looming, Townsend tattooed his third longball of the 2025 campaign down the left field line, sending the UT Martin faithful in a frenzy-celebrating the first home win of the spring.
Next up, the Skyhawks head to Toyota Field in Madison, Ala. to face the Auburn Tigers. First pitch on Tuesday, March 11 is at 6 p.m.
