By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Junior slugger Kaitlyn Kelley nearly drove in half of the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team’s runs on Tuesday afternoon with a five-RBI day as the Skyhawks cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Bellarmine to open the home portion of their 2022 schedule.
The Skyhawks (9-5) pushed their winning streak to four games after tallying 19 hits on the afternoon while boasting a .352 batting average as a team. Kelley paced a lethal UT Martin squad by going 5-for-7 at the plate with three singles, a double and a home run while notching five RBIs. Graduate outfielder Paige Clark also had an impressive afternoon as she not only tallied three base knocks – including a double – but swiped three stolen bases. With her work on the base paths, Clark now brings her career total up to 79 which ranks fourth in program history.
Newcomer Avry Blume also tallied three hits on the afternoon to join Kelley and Clark. Rounding out Skyhawk contributors with multiple hits on the day was the duo of Maddi Long and Katie Dreiling who each recorded a pair of hits in the twinbill.
While the offensive numbers stood out for UT Martin, the pitching staff was equally as impressive in their home debut. The Skyhawks combined to hurl 14.0 innings of work and post a 1.00 ERA while limiting opponents to a .189 batting average. Erin Gallagher (3-0) picked up a win in the opener by tossing 6.1 innings where she struck out four and allowed zero earned runs. Dreiling appeared in relief where she pitched two-thirds of an inning and did not allow a baserunner. Alexis Groet (3-2) pitched Game 2 and went the distance, striking out five and allowing two earned runs in seven innings of work.
Game 13: UT Martin 7, Bellarmine 1
UT Martin wasted little time getting on the board in its home debut with four runs in the bottom of the first innings to jump on Bellarmine early. Clark led off the inning with a double to left center before a single to left by Dreiling put runners on the corners with no outs. With a nice scoring chance at hand, Kelley stepped up and deposited a double down the left field line to score Clark and take an early advantage. The Skyhawks would add three more runs in the frame off a passed ball, a RBI-groundout by Kallie Pickens and a costly fielding error to put the home squad on top 4-0 after the first.
The score would remain the same until the top of the fifth inning when Bellarmine strung together a big inning. Young led off the inning with a double to left field before a dropped fly ball in the outfield brought the Knights lone run of the game home to score to make it 4-1.
Kelley immediately responded for the Skyhawks in the bottom half of the inning by stroking a solo home run to left center for her second homer of the season.
The Skyhawks were not done scoring as they added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to put the final icing on the game. Blume led off the inning with a single through the left side before advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch. She would later come around to score on a RBI groundout by Clark before the game’s final run crossed the plate on a single up the middle by Anna Hazlewood.
Game 14: UT Martin 4, Bellarmine 2
The Skyhawks struck first in the second game of the doubleheader as well with Clark leading off the bottom of the first with an infield single before swiping second base. With the speedster in scoring position, Kelley found a seam and singled up the middle to drive in the run and take the early advantage.
UT Martin padded its margin in the bottom of the third as Blume ripped a two-strike double down the left field line to kick off the frame before Long then hit an opposite field single down the right field line to bring the runner in. Later in the inning after Clark reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on her third stolen base of the day, Kelley drove in her fourth RBI of day to make it 3-0 contest.
Bellarmine made the game interesting in the top of the fourth when the Knights broke up Groet’s no-hitter with a two-run home run off the bat of Hargrove to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The game’s final run scored in the bottom of the fifth after Blume and Long tallied back-to-back singles to lead off the inning out of the bottom of the order. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Clark to move the pair into scoring position, the hero of the day once again came through with her fifth RBI as Kelley singled through the left side to make it a 4-2 contest.
Groet allowed just one hit the rest of the way and sealed the win for the Skyhawks to complete the doubleheader sweep.
UT Martin will now hit the road for its next tournament appearance by competing in the Blues City Classic beginning on Saturday, March 5 against Indiana State.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information