WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Little Rock 3, @Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2
@UAB 12,
UT Martin 11 (10)
@Louisville 19,
Morehead State 5
@#7 Tennessee 2,
Southern Indiana 1
LITTLE ROCK 3, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 2
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Recap coming soon.
UAB 12, UT MARTIN 11 (10)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team put together a big comeback attempt today but ultimately fell to UAB in walkoff fashion, 12-11 in 10 innings.
Andrew Fernandez tore up the Blazer arms, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI's while Cole Smith recorded the first multi-home run game of the season for the Skyhawks. That included a game-tying three-run blast in the top of the ninth inning, capping off a four-RBI day and evening the score after UT Martin once trailed by eight runs. Freshman Garner Anderson also continued to come up clutch, collecting a pinch-hit two-run single in the eighth frame.
Choyce Diffey started the game for UT Martin (5-8), who saw 10 total pitchers take the mound today. Tucker Reed (one inning), Brock Arender (one inning), Dylan Lapic (one inning) and Jeb Bartle (two innings pitched) each tossed scoreless appearances out of the Skyhawk bullpen.
The game started with a bang as Zac Rice drew a leadoff walk and Fernandez sent an inside pitch over the right field wall to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead two batters into the contest.
After the Blazers (6-6) scored three runs in the bottom of the first, Reed and Arender kept UAB off the scoreboard for the next two frames.
UAB scored seven combined runs in the next three innings but UT Martin kept grinding. Cole Smith's first longball of the year in the seventh lit a spark under the offense, which exploded for five runs in the eighth. Jalen Fithian (leadoff double), Rice (single), Fernandez (walk), Will Smith (walk, RBI), Mac Danford (RBI), Blaze Bell (RBI) each contributed to the Skyhawk offense in the eighth before Anderson's big two-run single.
Bartle entered in the eighth to get a pop up and two strikeouts to give hope to UT Martin's offense going into the ninth. With two outs and two on for Cole Smith, the left-handed slugger rose to the occasion with his second homer of the game, this time a three-run shot to tie the game at 11-all.
In the bottom half of the inning, Bartle induced two groundouts and a flyout with a runner on third to send the game to extras. Despite the valiant effort, UAB would close the game off with a home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
LOUISVILLE 19, MOREHEAD STATE 5
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Morehead State baseball team got a strong performance from senior Ryley Preece Wednesday, but couldn't overcome Louisville on the road.
Joe Rotkis (0-1) started and took the loss on the mound for Morehead State (7-5).
Preece's two extra base hits were the highlight of a 2-for-4 day, and included a double, a home run, a walk and two RBI. Senior Jacob Ferry furnished a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI.
Preece now sits one home run shy of tying the program record. His 48 career home runs are the third most in Morehead State history.
Trailing 5-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the third inning. Morehead State plated two runs when Preece left the yard with freshman Hayden Robbins aboard.
The Cardinals expanded their lead to 12-2 before the Eagles offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the fifth. Morehead State managed to push across two runs in the inning, which tightened the Cardinals lead to 12-4.
Louisville expanded their lead to 19-4 before the Morehead State offense got going, reducing that lead to 19-5 in the ninth. The Eagles recorded a run on Ferry's one-out solo home run, his first of the season.
#7 TENNESSEE 2, SOUTHERN INDIANA 1
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball goes toe-to-toe with #8 University of Tennessee, but lost, 2-1, Wednesday evening in Knoxville, Tennessee. USI is 4-8 to start the season, while Tennessee goes 13-1.
A pitcher's duel through five innings as the Screaming Eagles and the Volunteers were not able to muster more than a combined seven hits and nine total base runners. USI senior designated hitter Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas) ended the offensive drought by both teams by crushing a bomb to center field for a 1-0 Eagles lead and his second round tripper of the season.
The 1-0 lead was short lived as the Volunteers responded with a solo shot of their own in the bottom of the frame. Tennessee broke the tie four batters later with a single and run scored for a 2-1 lead at the end of six.
USI would go down in order in the seventh and would strand the tying run at second in the seventh and eighth as Tennessee closed out the 2-1 decision.
Freshman right-hander Clayton Weisheit (Ferdinand, Indiana) began the contest on the mound for USI, getting a no-decision in his first collegiate start. Weisheit threw four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk, while striking out four.
The loss in the game for USI went to junior right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana). Morris (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out four.