Morehead, Ky. -- Morehead State plated nine runs, but they weren't enough to overcome 10 Skyhawk runs in two innings and the Eagles dropped a 13-9 slugfest to UT Martin Sunday afternoon in Martin, Tenn.
Morehead State (12-25/ 2-13 OVC) got on the board in the first inning with a
Hunter Thomas one-out double to right field and was driven home by
JJ Dutton's single to right. The Eagles added on in the second, getting three unearned runs highlighted by Thomas' two-RBI double and Dutton's RBI single.
First baseman
Aubrey Kearns' one-out solo home run (his third of the season) out to right field in the third inning put MSU ahead 5-0.
UT Martin (14-23/ 5-8 OVC) stormed back beginning in the bottom of the third; the Skyhawks sent 11 batters to the plate scoring six runs on seven singles and a walk, to take the lead 6-5. They piled on four more runs in the fourth inning on five hits, highlighted by UTM left fielder Jordan Hudon's two-out, bases-loaded triple to put the Skyhawks up 10-5.
Both teams pushed two runs across in the fifth. MSU shortstop
Andy Cisneros' double down the line in left added a run in the sixth.
The Eagles threatened with a two-out rally in the seventh getting a run on a two-out walk by Thomas. He was driven in by
Davis Germann's RBI single up the middle. The Eagles left the bases loaded in the inning, one of five innings in which MSU left multiple runners on base. In total the Eagles left 13 runners on base.
Morehead State starter
Bradley Poynter (2-3) took the loss for Morehead State.
UTM's Kaleb Baskin (2-1) was credited with the win.
Morehead State returns to action Tuesday and Wednesday with their annual midweek home-and-home series with Marshall. The Eagles will journey to Huntington Tuesday and will host the Herd Wednesday. First pitch on both days is scheduled for 6:05.
NOTABLE
- Hunter Thomas had a big series at UTM: he went 8-15 (.533) with a home run, four doubles and drove in nine runs.
- JJ Dutton went 3-4 with a double and two runs batted in. He posted his 11th multi-hit game for the season and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. He's hit safely in 27 of the last 29 games.
- Thomas and Dutton are both riding 16-game reached-streaks, the longest current streaks on the team.
- Davis Germann went 3-4 with a walk and a RBI. German has reached safely in the last 11 games. He has hit safely in eight of the last nine games.
- Aubrey Kearns went 2-4 (including his third home run of the season) with a walk on the afternoon. He has hit safely in three of his last four games.
