Morehead, Ky. -- A day after racking up 20 and slugging 20 hits, the Morehead State baseball team ran into a strong pitching performance and fell to UT Martin 4-1 Friday afternoon in Martin, Tenn,. evening their series at 1-1.
Morehead State (12-24/ 2-12 OVC) got a solid effort from starter
Grant Herron (0-2) on the mound. The graduate student threw 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on two solo home runs (five hits overall) while issuing three walks and striking out five Skyhawk batters.
UT Martin (14-23/ 5-8 OVC) got on the board first with a leadoff home run by center fielder Jalen Fithian, his third of the season.
JJ Dutton broke the ice for Morehead State in the top of the sixth with his third home run of the season; this one a solo shot to right field.
UTM answered in the bottom of the sixth when designated hitter Aderrius Townshend drove a pitch over the left field fence.
The Skyhawks tacked on a two more in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin. UTM starter Zack Wager (4-5) picked up the win. He threw 6.2 innings, scattering six hits and striking out five Eagle hitters while walking one. Jeb Bartle (3) picked up the save, throwing 2.1 hitless innings striking out three and walking one.
The rubber match of the series is tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. ET. The game can be watched on ESPN+.
NOTABLE
- JJ Dutton extended his hitting streak to 15 games. In this series he's gone 7-14 at the plate, with a home run and double, a triple and driven in two runs.
- Davis Germann went 2-2 with two walks. He's hit safely in eight of the last nine games.
- Catcher Hunter Thomas, shortstop Andy Cisneros and infielder Austin Kearns all went 1-4 on the game.
- Cisneros has hit safely in the last four straight games, and Kearns has hit safely in four of the last five.
