The UTM baseball team gave up six runs in the top of the ninth inning and dropped an 8-7 decision to the University of Dayton Sunday afternoon at Skyhawk field.

With the loss the Skyhawks fall to 4-9 on the season. Dayton improves to 3-9. The Skyhawks return to action at 2 p.m., Monday, March 17 when they host Martin Methodist at Skyhawk Field. The Skyhawks trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the first, but answered with a Brady Nighswonger home run.

With the hit, Nighswonger extended his hitting streak to nine games.

The Skyhawks tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a Brian Jordan home run. In the bottom of the fifth, they added two more runs. Nighswonger drove in both runs with a single to center field.

Dan Stephens collected an RBI in the sixth inning with a double to left center field. In the seventh inning, the Skyhawks tacked on two more runs.

Jared Robinson pitched eight innings. He gave up nine hits and three walks before being pulled for Dustin Summers in the ninth inning. Summers faced three batters and gave up a hit and three runs. Casey Estill faced two batters in the ninth and gave up one hit and the winning run.

The Skyhawks committed seven errors in the game, including two in the top of the ninth inning. The UTM baseball team lost two games at Birmingham Southern last Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. Birmingham Southern won Tuesday's contest 9-3 and Wednesday afternoon's game, 21-5. Both games were played at Birmingham Southern's Scrushy-Striplin Field.

The Skyhawks rallied in the second inning of game one with three runs. Unfortunately, Birmingham Southern scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning and tacked on more runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Skyhawks managed eight hits in the contest and catcher Ryan Bethel hit his sixth double of the season to drive in two Skyhawk runs. Birmingham Southern roughed up four Skyhawk pitchers for 13 hits and eight earned runs. Senior Jonathan Spiceland was tagged for the mound loss.

The Skyhawks jumped out in front of Birmingham Southern in the second game with a three-run first inning. The Skyhawks added a run in the top of the second and led 4-3. Birmingham Southern exploded for 12 runs in the third and cruised to the 21-5 win.

The Skyhawks collected eight more hits in the second game, and Kelly Davis hit his first triple of the season. Birmingham Southern banged out 20 hits and tagged six Skyhawk pitchers for 10 earned runs. The Skyhawk defense committed four errors in the game. Jared Robinson was credited with his second loss of the season.