MARTIN, Tenn.– Five University of Tennessee at Martin batters racked up multi-hit games today but the Skyhawk baseball squad dropped a 13-8 decision in the opener of the weekend series to Morehead State.
Zac Rice (home run, two runs scored, one RBI) and Will Smith (three RBI’s, two runs scored) each had three hits on the day for UT Martin, who had 14 hits as a team. Jalen Fithian (2-for-5, two runs scored), Andrew Fernandez (2-for-4) and Mac Danford (2-for-5, RBI, run scored) also guided the Skyhawk offense while Cole Smith and Cameron Brady each drove in a pair of runs.
On the mound, Tristan Walton started the game and dialed up five strikeouts over five innings but did not factor into the decision. Baylor Jones (0-1) was charged with the loss while Campbell Cleveland (one inning) and Zach Wager (two frames) also saw time on the mound for UT Martin today.
Aided by two errors, Morehead State (27-19, 11-8 Ohio Valley Conference) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Eagles added one run in the bottom of the second before the Skyhawk offense exploded in their next time up at the dish.
UT Martin (18-28, 10-9 OVC) struck for four runs in the top of the third, grabbing its first lead in the process. Will Smith delivered a two-run double down the left field line before Cole Smith doubled down the right field line for two more runs to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Skyhawks.
Walton struck out the side in the bottom part of the third, keeping momentum in the UT Martin dugout. Rice extended the Skyhawk lead in the top of the fourth when he blasted a solo shot over the center field wall for his eighth round-tripper of the spring.
Walton kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for the second straight inning but Morehead State was able to tie the score with two runs in the fifth.
The Eagles scored five runs on just two hits in the sixth to reclaim the lead but UT Martin kept scrapping. RBI doubles off the bats of Danford and Brady (two-run base knock) in the seventh trimmed the Skyhawk deficit to 10-8.
After Morehead State scored three times in the seventh, Wager kept the Eagles off the scoreboard in the eighth.
Meanwhile, UT Martin got back in it as its first three batters reached base in the top of the eighth – capped off by a Will Smith RBI single. However, that was all the offense that the Skyhawks could produce for the remainder of the contest.
UT Martin and Morehead State will meet again tomorrow at 11 a.m. for Game 2 on ESPN+.
