Win, then two losses end Skyhawks’ year

Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 12:00 pm

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The UT Martin baseball team played Eastern Illinois tough through six innings on Saturday, but a three-run bottom of the seventh resulted in a 5-3 Panther win at Coaches Stadium in the season finale for the Skyhawks.
The Skyhawks (11-40, 4-26 Ohio Valley Conference) outhit Eastern Illinois by a 12-11 margin.
Sonny Mastromatteo tied a career-high with three hits with an RBI, while Nico Zych also laced three hits and scored twice for UTM.
Grant Glasser and Kyle Bargery each drove in a run.
Matt Haynes scored once and Taylor Cox added two hits to lead the Skyhawks offense.
Zych finished the year batting .283, tops among UTM’s regular players.
On the mound, sophomore starter Dalton Potts (4-7) went 61⁄3 innings, allowing four earned runs while fanning five.
Carter Smith also made an appearance, working 12⁄3 scoreless innings.
FRIDAY’S GAME
Eastern Ill. 9, UTM 0
UTM fell behind early and couldn’t muster enough offense to stage a comeback
The Panthers scored all nine of their runs in the first three innings before redshirt senior Nick Wilson slammed the door, firing a career-high 52⁄3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The Oviedo, Fla., native allowed just three hits and a walk, eclipsing his previous career-high of 21⁄3 innings set against Belmont earlier this season.
Zych was responsible for two of UT Martin’s three hits, while Bargery also hit safely for the fourth straight game.
Byron Johann and Luis Paublini also each drew a walk to round out the baserunners for the Skyhawks.
On the mound, starting pitcher Taylor Cox (0-7) was charged with the loss after allowing six earned runs over 21⁄3 frames.
THURSDAY’S GAME
UTM 4, Eastern Ill. 3
Down to its final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, UT Martin pushed across a pair of runs to go on top and never looked back.
The win broke a 13-game losing skid for the Skyhawks, who won on the road for just the second time all season.
UTM led 2-0 until the Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take their first lead of the game.
The Skyhawks then generated a pair of runs thanks to a Cox game-tying RBI single with one out and a Hagen Nelson sacrifice fly that brought home Johann for the eventual game-winning run.
Carter Smith (1-4) then capped off another remarkable appearance out of the bullpen by not allowing a ball out of the infield in a perfect ninth.
Overall, Smith tossed 21⁄3 no-hit scoreless innings, fanning three while allowing just one walk.
Cox registered a pair of hits to go along with an RBI and run scored to lead the Skyhawks offensively.
Glasser led the ninth inning rally off with a single, scoring the tying run and adding an RBI as well.
Haynes also scored and drove in a run for UT Martin, who outhit the Panthers by an 8-6 margin.
Senior Dan Tobik was sharp in his final start in a Skyhawk uniform but received a no-decision.
He blanked Eastern Illinois through six innings before finishing with two earned runs allowed off six hits in 62⁄3 frames.
Tobik accumulated eight strikeouts, giving him 263 career punchouts, just four shy of Jody Fuller’s school record.

Published in The WCP 5.21.13

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