MARTIN, Tenn.– Despite an offense that scored in five different innings and outhit the visitors for the third consecutive outing, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team fell to Brown in the series finale today, 13-6.
The Skyhawks (3-4) collected 13 hits on the day – their fourth game in double digits in that category through seven games in 2024. Zac Rice (double shy of hitting for the cycle), Will Smith (two hits, including a double), Jalen Fithian (double) and Cullen Box (double) each had extra-base hits on the day while Mac Danford also went 2-for-4 with a walk. Benny DeTrude, Andrew Fernandez, Blaze Bell and Jackson Cooke also recorded base knocks.
Zach Wager (0-2) made his second start of the season on the mound while Dylan Lapic, Eli Martin and Sam Smith each tossed scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
UT Martin got on the scoreboard in the third after Danford doubled and Rice brought him home with an RBI groundout, cutting the Skyhawk deficit to 2-1.
The Bears were able to score six runs in the top of the fourth but UT Martin kept battling. In the bottom half of the inning, Smith roped a leadoff double into the gap in right center and came home five pitches later on a Bell RBI single.
In the fifth frame, Rice would continue to bring in the runs for the Skyhawks with his first long ball of the season – a shot that landed over the right field wall. Two innings later, Rice smoked a one-out triple to right center and soon came around to score on a Fernandez RBI.
UT Martin pieced together four hits in the bottom of the ninth, starting with a Rice leadoff single. DeTrude followed with a single through the right side and Box ripped a pinch-hit double into the gap in right center for an RBI. Cooke later posted a pinch-hit RBI single but the valiant comeback attempt ran out of time.
The Skyhawks will head to FedEx Park for the first road trip of the season to take on Memphis in a two-game mid-week tilt. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. and Game 2 will be played on Wednesday, Feb 28 at 4 p.m. Live stats will be available for both games with an ESPN+ stream for Game 1.
