MARTIN, Tenn.– Led by a dominant effort from starting pitcher Tristan Walton, the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team produced a complete performance in its 4-0 triumph over Ohio Valley Conference leader Little Rock in Game 1 of the weekend series.
Today’s win was the first time the Skyhawks (13-21, 5-5 OVC) blanked an opponent since a 3-0 victory at Central Arkansas on March 11, 2022 and also served as the program’s first OVC shutout since a 1-0 triumph over Austin Peay in the backend of a home doubleheader on April 17, 2021.
Tristan Walton (3-4) was tremendous, going a season-high 7.2 shutout innings while allowing just two hits (both singles). His outs were evenly distributed as the senior southpaw gathered seven punchouts, seven groundball outs and eight flyouts in one of the most impressive starts by any Skyhawk hurler in recent memory. Tucker Reed finished the shutout, getting the final four outs in perfect fashion for his second save on the year.
Offensively, Will Smith belted a two-run home run while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Zac Rice scored twice while Andrew Fernandez drove in a pair of runs for the Skyhawks.
It was evident early that Walton was dialed in as he recorded a pair of strikeouts in the top of the first. He would just need 11 pitches to add two more punchouts to his ledger in the second.
After retiring his eighth consecutive batter to open the top of the fourth, the Trojans (17-16, 6-4 OVC) managed their first hit of the game with a bloop single to center. Walton responded with another strikeout and a flyout to end any potential scoring threat.
The UT Martin offense gave Walton the run support he needed in the home half of the fourth. After Rice reached on an error to lead off the frame, Smith went the other way for his fourth jack of the season, giving the Skyhawks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Walton went back to work, sitting down the next eight batters in a row after UT Martin got on the scoreboard. That included a nine-pitch frame in the sixth before the streak ended with a harmless two-out walk in the seventh. The Clay, Ala. native then managed the final out of the inning on the next pitch.
Meanwhile, the Skyhawks tacked two more runs on the scoreboard thanks to a pair of RBI’s from Fernandez. After a two-out walk to Smith in the fifth, Fernandez lined an RBI double down the first base line to make the score 3-0. In the bottom of the seventh, a one-out double from Rice turned into a run when Fernandez grounded out to the right side for an RBI that boosted UT Martin’s lead to 4-0.
After Little Rock placed two runners on the basepaths with two away in the eighth, Reed entered from the bullpen and won a seven-pitch battle by inducing a flyout to conclude the inning. The Athens, Ala. native would cap off the victory by sitting the Trojans down in order in the ninth, giving the Skyhawks their first win over Little Rock since 2009.
Game 2 is set for tomorrow at 3 p.m. on ESPN+ with live stats available.
