By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team battled on the opening day of The Spring Games on Friday afternoon but dropped a pair of tightly contested matchups to Notre Dame (8-7) and Dartmouth (6-4).
The Skyhawks (1-6) had tie contests in the sixth inning of both games on Friday but could not find the need hits nor lockdown pitching in the closing frames to snap a current six-game losing streak.
UT Martin’s offense did find success, scoring 11 runs in the two contests while tallying three doubles. Juniors Kiersten Nixon and Kaci Fuller paced the team with three hits each while classmates Annie Gutierrez and Avry Blume also had multi-hit showings. Fuller paced the team with four RBIs, bringing her season total up to 11 through the first seven games while Gutierrez (three) and Nixon (two) also combined for five RBIs.
The pitching tandem of Katie Dreiling and Brooklynn Linneman were hit with the losses in both contests while Emily Brown also saw action in relief.
Game 6: Notre Dame 8, UT Martin 7
The first game of the tournament saw Notre Dame jump out to an early advantage with a RBI groundout by Anna Holloway to put the ACC program on the board with a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The lead was short-lived however as UT Martin not only tied the game in the bottom half of the inning but took its own lead after a pair of RBIs. Following a leadoff hit by pitch of Kallie Pickens, the Skyhawks moved the third baseman into scoring position before Nixon drove in the game-tying run with a single down the third base line. Then just two batters later, Fuller gave the Skyhawks the lead after reaching on an error which scored Maddi Long to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Skyhawks then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the third as they looked like they were going to run away with the contest. A pair of singles earlier in the frame set up Nixon who tallied her second RBI-single to score a run. Then following a pitching change, Gutierrez smacked a single down the third base line to drive in a pair. While holding a four-run advantage, Fuller and Dreiling padded the Skyhawks lead with back-to-back singles which gave UT Martin a 7-1 cushion.
Facing a large hole, Notre Dame began to chip away at the deficit in the fourth inning as Mickey Winchell tallied an RBI groundout with the bases loaded. Then the next at bat saw Jane Kronenberger notch a two-run single to trim the margin down to three runs.
Still trailing by three runs, the Fighting Irish saw the first two players reach safely in the top of the fifth inning courtesy of a hit by pitch and a four-pitch walk. With two free passes extended to Notre Dame, Lexi Orozco made UT Martin pay with a three-run home run to center field to tie the contest at 7-7.
The game remained tied until the top of the sixth inning when Notre Dame ultimately found its game-winning hit on a single up the middle by Leea Hanks to give the squad an 8-7 advantage which it would not relinquish.
Game 7: Dartmouth 6, UT Martin 4
Playing in back-to-back contest, UT Martin looked to get off on the right foot by scoring a run in the first inning. Back-to-back walks by Blume and Nixon set up the scoring opportunity before Gutierrez singled to center to give the Skyhawks an early 1-0 lead.
Dartmouth then mounted its comeback in the top of the second inning. The Big Green tallied three hits in the inning – including an RBI double by Allie Odhe to tie the game – before a sacrifice fly by Jenna Brown and a single by Maddie Katona gave the squad a 3-1 lead.
The Skyhawks battled back in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. With the first two runners reaching to open the inning and a successful sacrifice moved the pair into scoring position, a prime scoring chance was in hand. Just needing a big hit, the Skyhawks turned to Fuller who came up with the clutch knock by lacing an opposite field double into left field to clear the bases and tie the score at 3-3.
The Green Wave quickly answered the Skyhawk rally in the top of the fifth by retaking the lead on a well-placed bunt single by Leila Hennessy which plated one run.
Now entering the bottom of the sixth down by a run, UT Martin found the game’s equalizer once again. After Jordyn Hustey worked a pinch-hit walk, Kyrsten Brown re-entered the contest and came around to score two batters later on a game-tying double from Blume.
Unfortunately for the Skyhawks, Dartmouth found a clutch hit of its own in the top of the seventh to once again retake the lead as Kate Farren laced a two-run single through the left side which ultimately scored the game-winning runs.
The University of Tennessee at Martin softball program boasted one of its best games of the season in a 12-0 shutout victory against Valparaiso on Day Two of The Spring Games. Along with the impressive shutout, the Skyhawks suffered an extra-inning loss to Oakland by a final score of 3-2.
The Skyhawks (2-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak with a dominating performance against Valparaiso. The squad’s offense had a big day while boasting a .345 batting average with three home runs and 14 RBIs in the twinbill. Meanwhile in the pitcher’s circle, three Skyhawks combined to post a 1.11 ERA and hold opponents to a .100 batting average in 12.2 innings of work.
Junior Kaci Fuller was impressive once again for the Skyhawks as she went 7-for-8 at the plate with a double, two home runs and six RBIs on the day. Fellow junior Maddi Long also had a big day by going 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Meanwhile, freshman Kyrsten Brown recorded the first home run of her career while driving in two runs.
In total, six players tallied multiple base hits for the day, while Avry Blume went 3-for-7 at the dish. Joining in the action was Kallie Pickens and Annie Gutierrez with two hits each while Anna Blanton and Kiersten Nixon also had RBIs.
Junior newcomer Brooklynn Linneman picked up the first win and shutout of her Skyhawk career by pitching five scoreless innings. Along with tallying four strikeouts, Linneman allowed just one hit which came in the top of the fifth inning. Nixon also had a nice day in the circle where she pitched 7.1 strong innings while recording a no-hitter through the first six innings before ultimately being hit with the loss in an extra-innings affair.
Game 8: Oakland 3, UT Martin 2 (Eight innings)
The first game of the day proved to be a pitchers duel as UT Martin held Oakland hitless for the first six innings of the contest while the Skyhawks were limited to just four hits as well. With the game still locked in a scoreless tie through seven innings, the contest went to extra innings.
Once the game got into extra innings, the international tie-breaker went into effect with Pickens being placed on second with no outs for the Skyhawks. With a prime scoring opportunity at hand, Fuller laced a double into left center which allowed Pickens to come in to score the game’s first run in the eighth. Then two batters later, the Skyhawks added another run as Fuller came home to score on a fielder’s choice to take a 2-0 advantage into the bottom half of the inning.
After being held in check all game, Oakland broke through in the bottom of the eighth to steal the game away. Following the placed runner and a hit by pitch, a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position for Grizzlies. Looking to jump on the board themselves, Jen Krizka singled to right center to tie the game up. Following another single to put two runners on, Oakland came through once again, this time on a two-out single up the middle by Maci Brown to walk-off with a 3-2 victory.
Game 9: UT Martin 12, Valparaiso 0 (Five innings)
Having been the recipient of several bad breaks over the last few games, the Skyhawks looked to snap out of their funk against Valparaiso. UT Martin struck first in the contest as Fuller kicked off her 4-for-4 performance against the Beacons with a solo home run in the bottom of the first innings.
The Skyhawks added their second run of the contest in the bottom of the second on yet another solo home run, this time from Kyrsten Brown to left field. The blast marked the first of her collegiate career.
Another run came home for the Skyhawks in the third inning as Long led off the frame with a double to left field before moving over to third on a passed ball. With the run sitting just 60 feet away, Pickens singled up the middle to drive in the team’s third of the game.
The fourth inning proved to be the big inning as the Skyhawks took out all of their frustrations on the ball by scoring nine runs on nine hits. Fuller had a big inning as she led off the frame with a single to left center to kick-start the scoring bonanza. Then back-to-back singles – including a rip through the left side by Nixon scored Fuller on the play. A few batters later, Long tallied her second double of the game to clear the bases and bring two teammates in to score. Both Gutierrez and Brown would register RBI-singles of their own before Fuller bookended the inning with a grand slam to give the Skyhawks a 12-0 advantage.
Meanwhile in the pitcher’s circle, Linneman was electric by holding the Beacons out of the hit column through the first 4.2 innings of work. Despite giving up a late hit to spoil a no-hitter, Linneman cashed in her shutout with a five-inning victory.
The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team capped off its stay at The Spring Games with a wire-to-wire victory over Siena by racking up 17 base hits on the way to a 7-4 neutral site win.
The Skyhawks (3-7) finished the tournament with back-to-back wins after jumping out to a lead in the first inning and never looking back. Seven players tallied multi-hit efforts in the tournament finale with Kiersten Nixon leading the way with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Joining Nixon in the hit parade was Kaci Fuller, Annie Gutierrez, Maddi Long, Kallie Pickens, Kaitlyn Kelley and Anna Hazlewood with two hits each.
While the hits were coming in bunches, UT Martin put seven runs on the board. Long paced the team with two RBIs on the day while Avry Blume, Nixon, Gutierrez and Hazlewood also drove in runs.
In the pitching circle, Nixon got the start and allowed one earned run in two innings of work. Katie Dreiling (2-2) entered in relief and earned the victory after tossing 4.1 innings. Freshman Ashtyn Green also got the call out of the pen and came in to get her first career save.
The scoring got started in the top of the first inning when Nixon and Gutierrez tallied back-to-back two-out singles to mount a rally. Long then got the Skyhawks on the board with a single to score Nixon and take an early advantage.
The Skyhawks then added to their lead in the top of the third inning as the bases became loaded by a walk and two singles. With a prime opportunity at hand, Hazlewood came through with a RBI single while Pickens scampered home to score the inning’s second run on a throwing error to give the squad a 3-0 cushion.
Siena (7-2) looked to mount a comeback in the bottom half of the third inning with a pair of runs. The Saints scored their first run on a five-pitch walk to Angelina Stile before Shannon Bonewit cut the margin down to one run on a sacrifice fly.
The margin would stay the same until the top of the sixth inning when UT Martin added some breathing room with two RBIs. Fuller scored the team’s first run of the inning on a RBI single by Gutierrez before pinch runner Anna Blanton later scored from second on a single by Long to push the margin out to 5-2.
The Saints wouldn’t go quietly however as McKenzie Swinson trimmed the deficit back to two runs on a RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth.
The Skyhawks got back to work in the top of the seventh as Blume and Nixon tallied back-to-back RBI singles to take a four-run lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Needing just three outs for a victory, the Skyhawks gave up a quick run to the Saints following back-to-back walks and a RBI-double by Stile bring the score to 7-4. With still two runners on and one out on the board, Green entered the game and made quick work off Siena by forcing a double-play to end the game and record her first career save.
UT Martin returns to action on Friday, March 3 when opening a four-game tournament at the Saluki Invitational in Carbondale, Ill.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information