SATURDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 6, @Belmont 4 (8)
UT Martin 8, @Belmont 5
@Eastern Kentucky 3, Tennessee Tech 2 (10)
@Eastern Kentucky 8, Tennessee Tech 3
Southeast Missouri 5, @Tennessee State 3 (9)
Southeast Missouri 4, @Tennessee State 1
UT MARTIN 6, BELMONT 4; UT MARTIN 8, BELMONT 5
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team clinched its 16th berth to the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship in the past 17 seasons behind a doubleheader sweep of Belmont on Saturday afternoon. The Skyhawks won a pair of games at E.S. Rose Park by scores of 6-4 and 8-5 on the afternoon.
The Skyhawks (34-15, 11-4 OVC) tallied 14 runs in the doubleheader while tallying four home runs and 14 RBIs. Juniors Aeron Smith and Rachel Williams paced the team with three base hits on the day while the duo along with classmate Alicia Hansen each drove in three RBIs. Four different players notched home runs on the afternoon with Williams, Hansen, Jodie Duncan and Gracyn McBride adding to their season total. Meanwhile, the nation’s third ranked program in terms of total steals swiping five on the afternoon.
Despite facing a dangerous Bruins batting order, strong winds blowing out would post another challenge for the Skyhawk pitching staff. Despite the challenges, UT Martin would deploy all four of the team’s arms en route to a series sweep. Samantha Scott (4-4, 3.50) earned her fourth victory of the season after allowing just one earned run in five innings of relief to win Game One. Brooke Kennedy (18-5, 3.01 ERA) tallied a new single-season high for victories with her 18th win of the season while improving to 8-0 in league play after pitching 4.2 innings. Sara Hooten and Seeley Layne also saw action, combining to allow three earned runs.
Game One: UT Martin 6, Belmont 4
UT Martin would get out on top of the contest in the second inning, taking its first lead of the day. After Smith would be hit by a pitch, Hansen would enter the game looking to change the contest with her speed. The speedster would quickly swipe second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. With the runner just 60 feet from home, Reid Ballard would bring Hansen home to score on a sacrifice bunt.
The Skyhawks looked to add to their lead in the top of the third inning. A leadoff walk to Carly Gonzales followed by an infield single by Lauren Myers would put two runners on base with one out. A sacrifice bunt would move the pair of runners into scoring position before Williams drove a three-run home run to left field to give the Skyhawks a 4-0 lead.
Facing a four-run deficit, Belmont would respond in the bottom half of the inning. Baylee Cook would reach via a single before later coming home to score on a two-run home run to right field by Hayley Baker, cutting the margin in half.
The Bruins would continue to climb back into the contest with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings. A sacrifice fly by Baker would bring the team’s third run home in the fifth inning before a RBI single by Jordan Spicer tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With the game tied after seven innings, the game would head to extra innings. Facing just its second extra innings contest of the season, the Skyhawks looked for a clutch hit to scratch out a victory. A leadoff single by Williams would get the inning started before Jessie Douglas reached base via a fielder’s choice. Following a stolen base by Douglas to put runners on second and third, Smith would stroke a two-run single down the right field line to score the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs.
Game Two: UT Martin 8, Belmont 5
With a big win already on the day, UT Martin wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the second half of the doubleheader. After a pair of outs to start the inning, McBride would connect on the fourth pitch of the at bat, sailing a solo home run over the centerfield wall.
The Skyhawks added another run in the top of the second as Duncan led off the frame with a double to center field. With a runner in scoring position, Smith would tally her third RBI of the afternoon with a single up the middle to bring Duncan home to score and take a 2-0 lead.
UT Martin stayed aggressive in the top of the third, scoring in its third consecutive inning. The first two Skyhawks would reach base following a walk and a double before Duncan plated Gabby Zizzi on a RBI groundout. With Williams now on third base, Alli Fulcher would turn on a pitch and dump a double into left center to score the second run of the inning. Fulcher later came all the way home to score on a sacrifice bunt by Hansen to make it a five-run advantage.
Facing a significant deficit once again, Belmont began to push back in the bottom of the fourth. Following a single by Shersty Stanton, Spicer would launch a two-out home run to left center to trim the margin to 5-2.
With the margin narrowed down a bit, UT Martin looked for some extra run support in the top of the fifth. With one out Duncan would pull a solo home run to right field while Hansen followed up a single by Smith with a two-run home run to left center – her first home run of the season.
The Bruins would add three runs in the final innings but would only get as close as 8-5 down the stretch.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 3, TENNESSEE TECH 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 8, TENNESSEE TECH 3
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky registered 25 hits in an Ohio Valley Conference softball doubleheader sweep of Tennessee Tech at Gertrude Hood Field on Saturday. The Colonels won game one 3-2 in 10 innings and then beat the Golden Eagles 8-3 in the second game.
Tennessee Tech took the lead in game one with solo home runs by Alyssa Richards in the second inning and by Kelly Kennedy in the fifth inning.
EKU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Amber Murray led off the inning with a double to right center. After the next two batters were retired, Mia Sanchez kept the inning alive with a bunt single. Rachel Minogue followed with a 2-out, 2-run single up the middle to tie the game 2-2.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th inning. Minogue was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then moved to second when Hannah Clark drew a walk. Paige Murphy followed with the game winning double to left field.
Murphy had a 3-for-5 day with the game-winning RBI. Sanchez went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Minogue was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and scored the game-winning run. Mollie Paulick (11-9) picked up the win after tossing four and one-third innings of scoreless relief. She allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out six.
Richards finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Tennessee Tech.
The Colonels (22-26, 9-7 OVC) didn’t waste any time scoring in game two. With two outs and runners on second and third, Clark singled to right center to bring home both runners for a 2-0 lead.
Clark drove in her third run of the game in the bottom of the fifth with single to left that platted Sanchez and put Eastern on top 3-0.
The Golden Eagles came right back and rallied in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game. Gabby LaSala hit a two-run home run over the wall in left field. After the next two batters reached on a single and a walk, Hallie Davis tied it with a RBI double down the third base line.
Pinch hitting to lead off the bottom of the sixth, Brittany Oldaker gave the lead right back to EKU with her second home run of the season. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Johnkyria Alston brought home two more runs with a single through the left side. Murphy completed the five run inning with a two-run single through the right side.
After TTU (15-27, 7-7 OVC) had tied the game with three runs in the sixth, Alex Sallberg (8-13) came on to pitch and got the final two outs of the inning and then retired the side in order in the seventh to get the win.
Sanchez went 3-for-4 and scored three runs in game two. Clark finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Three others had multiple hits.
LaSala finished 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs for Tech.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 5, TENNESSEE STATE 3; SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 4, TENNESSEE STATE 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee State softball team dropped a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games to visiting Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers fell 5-3 in nine innings before dropping game two, 4-1. TSU was officially eliminated from postseason play as the fell to 2-16 in conference play, 12-34 overall, while SEMO jumped back into the race for the final spot as they improved to 6-12 in conference, 21-25 on the season.
Danica Gleason and Sarah Snell led the Tigers at the plate as each finished with three hits on the day. Erica O’Kane added two knocks, while Patton Akers, Courtney Gearlds and Abi Stephens each collected one. Maggie Syversen and Emma Colegrove each came off the bench to deliver pinch hit singles.
The Tigers started fast in the opener with three runs in the first inning. Gearlds reached first to lead off the inning after being hit by a pitch for the 40th time in her career. Snell and Gleason followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Two batters later, Akers drew a walk to force Gearlds home to take a 1-0 lead. O’Kane stepped up and delivered the big blow of the inning as drove home Snell and Gleason on a shot down the leftfield line.
Starter Lauren Powell held the Redhawks down until Ashley Ellis deposited a ball over the fence in center to cut the Tiger lead to 3-1. SEMO tied the contest at 3-3 with a two-run single off the bat of Madison Harris.
The score remained tied, forcing extra innings. The Redhawks would break through in the ninth as Rachel Anderson started the rally with a triple and scored on a Parker Bandy sacrifice fly. SEMO added an insurance run to take a 5-3 advantage.
The Tigers tried to respond in their half of the frame as Syversen notched a leadoff single and Snell picked up her second walk of the game. TSU thought they had tied up the game as Gleason ripped a shot to center, but was denied extra bases as Anderson made an extended, leaping grab to rob Gleason and the Tigers of a comeback.
Madeline Krumrey (12-8) struck out eight as she earned the win. Powell (5-15) suffered the loss after issuing nine hits and six walks. The sophomore pitcher was able to fan six through nine innings.
In the back end of the twin bill, SEMO struck first with three runs, as Anderson blasted a two run shot, after Mykaela Arellanes recorded an RBI triple. The Redhawks tacked on another run in the fifth off Lauren Woodard, to take a 4-0 lead.
The Tigers would get a run back in the sixth as Gleason scored on an Akers sacrifice fly, cutting into the Redhawks lead.
In the seventh, TSU mounted a comeback as Colegrove and Gearlds produced one out singles and advanced 60 feet as Snell earned her third walk of the day. SEMO starter Alexis Estes exited in favor of reliever Mackenzie Hoelting, who produced two quick outs to preserve the game for the Redhawks.
Woodard (4-12) allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits to take the loss. Estes improved to 6-9, as Hoelting earned her second save of the season.