By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team dropped its first Ohio Valley Conference series since the opening weekend of league action Saturday afternoon, falling to in-state rival UT Martin 15-6 at Skyhawk Baseball Field in Martin, Tenn.
For the second straight game, UT Martin's offense struck often and early, this time against the OVC's top pitcher by a number of categories, Peyton Calitri. The Skyhawks (17-25, 9-8) scraped one run across in the first before Calitri escaped a bases-loaded jam with a double play.
UT Martin exploded in the second inning, plating seven runs behind two home runs, a double, and six total hits. The Skyhawks also drew three walks off Calitri, who entered the contest ranked third nationally in both walks/nine innings and strikeout/walk ratio.
Tech (26-17, 10-7) got on the board in the third courtesy of center fielder Jackson Green, who hammered his third long ball of the season to left-center field. The Golden Eagles put two more runs up in the fourth, with second baseman Troy Baunsgard ripping a lead-off single up the middle.
Catcher Hayden Gilliland followed by pulverizing a two-run shot to right-center field, pulling Tech to within 8-3. It marked the senior's ninth round-tripper of the season and the 26th of his career.
In the fifth, the Skyhawks got all three runs back behind four more hits and one of three Golden Eagle errors. Tech scored twice more in the sixth behind a two-run jack down the left-field line by right fielder Theo Bryant IV, his sixth of the year. UT Martin responded again with one marker in the bottom half.
The purple and gold gathered its final run of the contest in the seventh as third baseman Tanner Shiver opened the frame with a double to center fielder and advanced to third on an error. He scored two pitches later after a sacrifice fly by left fielder Austin Turner.
Closing out the game, UT Martin scored once more in the seventh and twice in the eighth, completing the day with 15 runs and 17 hits.
Gilliland and Shiver each finished 2-for-4 from the plate for the Golden Eagles, accounting for half of their team's total. Bryant and Gilliland led the way with two RBI each.
The third and final game of the series is slated for a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday afternoon at Skyhawk Baseball Field.
File photo by Jim Dillon
