The UT Martin Skyhawks baseball team moves to 13-22 on the season after a series loss to the Western Illinois Leathernecks at home.
The Skyhawks took game one Friday with a score of 4-3, holding off the Leathernecks’ ninth-inning push for a comeback win. Starting pitcher Jacob Sitton dealt a quality start for the Skyhawks with six innings of two-run baseball on seven hits allowed.
The Skyhawks’ offense compiled four runs on 10 hits. However, the Skyhawks had many opportunities throughout to add to their lead, leaving seven base runners stranded.
The Leathernecks responded to the loss with a close 7-6 win against the Skyhawks on Saturday. The Skyhawks went down 7-2 in the 5th inning, but battled back, putting up three runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh.
Center fielder and lead-off man Jalen Fithian led the comeback efforts, clearing the bases with a three-run double in the sixth. Starting pitcher Zach Wagner struggled through 4.1 innings, allowing seven runs, five of them being earned.
The Skyhawks would fall to the Leathernecks Sunday, 14-9 in the series finale. The Leathernecks scored 11 runs in the first three innings, but that did not stop the Skyhawks from battling. The Skyhawks responded with five runs in the sixth inning, but ultimately fell short.
Skyhawks shortstop Cameron Greene had a game at the plate, getting on base three times with two hits and two runs batted in.
The Skyhawks host Morehead State for a three-game series beginning Thursday, April 17, at 5 p.m. The last meeting between the two clubs last May resulted in a 22-20 victory for the Skyhawks in a high-scoring affair.
The Skyhawks finish off the homestand by hosting Belmont on April 22 at 5 p.m. The Belmont Bruins outlasted the Skyhawks 7-6 on April 8.
The Skyhawks then head back on the road to take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in a three game series.
This will be the first matchup between the two Ohio Valley Conference rivals this season. The Golden Eagles enter the series as the No. 1 team in the conference. Game one is set for April 25, at 6 p.m. in Cookeville, Tennessee.
