MARTIN, Tenn.- In a late back-and-forth battle, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team triumphed 6-5 over Illinois State thanks to a Blaze Bell walk-off single.
Bell paced the team with three RBI’s on a 2-for-5 day, also driving in two runs with a clutch single in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score. Zac Rice (home run), Cole Smith (2-for-3, three walks, one double and two runs) and Mac Danford (2-for-4, two walks) each had multi-hit days in the thrilling 11-inning contest.
Eric Steensma started the game for the Skyhawks (6-13) and gave them seven strong innings, tying a career-high in that category. The redshirt senior from Western Springs, Ill. posted his third quality start in four chances in 2024, allowing three earned runs with just one walk.
The trio of Kaleb Baskin, Zach Wager and Tucker Reed made appearances out of the bullpen and combined to allow just one earned run on two hits over four innings. Reed (1-0) earned the win after shutting down the Redbirds in the top of the 11th, giving UT Martin the walk-off opportunity.
After Illinois State (7-9) gained the initial lead with a run in the top of the second, Rice hit a game-tying moonshot over the wall in left field to level the score after three innings were in the books.
The Skyhawks would then take their first lead of the day on a sacrifice fly from Jackson Cooke that scored Will Smith in the fourth. The Redbirds were quick to respond in their next at-bat, regaining a 4-2 edge that they would hold for the next three innings.
In the eighth frame, Baskin left two runners in scoring position after winning a 3-2 count with a flyout to right field. Trailing by two in the home half, Cole Smith was issued a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a Danford double out to center. Both players came around to score when Bell singled to center field to tie the game up at 4-all.
Wager took the mound to in the top of the ninth and retired the Redbird first three hitters of the lineup in order. The Skyhawks would load the bases in the bottom half but couldn’t bring home the scoring run so free baseball was awarded to the fans.
Illinois State went back in front in the top of the 10th but the run was quickly answered with a Jalen Fithian double off the left field wall, plating Garner Anderson to keep UT Martin alive.
The top of the order was back up for the Redbirds in the 11th but Reed needed just 11 pitches to go three-up, three-down.
Cole Smith led off the bottom of the 11th with a single down the left field line and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from Will Smith. After an intentional walk to Danford and a wild pitch, Bell became the walk-off hero after going to the opposite field with a single before being mobbed by his teammates.
The rubber match is set for tomorrow for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
