WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Ole Miss 8,
UT Martin 0
Western Kentucky 7,
@Belmont 2
OLE MISS 8, UT MARTIN 0
OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team went on the road and squared off against nationally ranked Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss on Wednesday afternoon, falling 8-0 in six innings.
The Skyhawks held the 24th ranked Rebels in check through the first three frames before a five-run fourth inning broke the game open. After the big explosive inning, Ole Miss added to its margin with three more runs down the stretch to put the game away early in the bottom of the sixth inning.
UT Martin was limited to just two hits on the afternoon. Shyanne Sheffield and Kaitlyn Kelley each tallied base knocks with singles in the first and fourth innings, respectively.
Erin Gallagher earned the start for the Skyhawks and excelled, pitching two no-hit innings while striking out one. Alexis Groet was the first of four pitchers to appear in relief, posting a scoreless inning to hold Ole Miss off the board through the first the frames.
Ole Miss jumped on the board in the fourth inning as Emily Brown (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season. The Rebels tallied five hits in the inning – highlighted by a three-run home run off the bat of Kacey Hvitved to cap off the frame.
The Rebels added to their margin with another run off of Seeley Layne in the fifth inning to make it a six-run contest off a RBI-single by Abbey Latham through the left side.
With the Skyhawks fifth pitcher in the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ole Miss put the game away with two more runs. A single off of Hannah Ridolfi followed by a hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases for the Rebels with one walk. The home squad tallied the final blow as Paige Smith singled to left field to drive in a pair and bring the final score to 8-0.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 7, BELMONT 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A run rally fell shy of helping Belmont Softball take a midweek contest at home on Wednesday. The Bruins fell to regional foe WKU, 7-2.
For the day, sophomore Abi Ledbetter (Livingston, Tenn.) led the Bruins at the plate going 2-for-4.
Work inside the circle was split between seniors Alicia Veltri (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Autumn McDanel (Moravia, Iowa) and freshman Alex Clesi (Mandeville, La.). The trio combined for six strikeouts.