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Skyhawks split double header


UTM baseball pitcher Justin Bryant redeemed himself from a poor performance in the season opener, earlier this week, against Western Kentucky.

Bryant pitched 5.1 innings Saturday afternoon and helped the Skyhawks claim their first win of the season, a 5-2 decision over visiting Louisiana-Monroe.

Bryant gave up two runs and six hits. He struck out three. Dustin Summers worked two-thirds of an inning and senior Jarrad Robinson picked up his first save of the season with one inning of work.

"Justin pitched like he was capable of pitching," said Bubba Cates, UTM Skyhawk head coach.

"He pitched like he did last year. I think he had a bad day against Western Kentucky, but he regrouped and did his job today."

The Skyhawks gave Bryant three runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Brian Berryman doubled in a run and Nick Luper singled home a run.

The Skyhawks added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bryant Jones led off the inning with a solo homer to left center. The Skyhawks put together five consecutive hits in the inning and came away with another run.

In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Louisiana-Monroe claimed a 12-0 win. The Skyhawks managed nine hits in the game, but three pitchers combined to give up four walks and 13 hits. The Skyhawk defense also committed two errors. Earlier this week the Skyhawks dropped a 2-1 decision to host Arkansas State. Freshman Ben Meador worked five crafty innings, scattered four hits and a walk and struck out four. Arkansas State scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning and a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Skyhawks threatened in the top of the ninth and missed a chance to squeeze home the tying run.

The Skyhawks used two hits and a stolen base in the inning to put runners in scoring position.

"We knew we had an opportunity to win the game and we went for it with the squeeze," Cates said. "The wind was blowing in and the chances of scoring on a long fly ball did not exist." The Skyhawks are 1-3 on the season and wrap up the three-game series against Louisiana-Monroe at 1 today (Sunday, Feb. 22) at Skyhawk Field.