By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – After the Ohio Valley Conference road series for the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team was shortened to two games due to weather, the Skyhawks made the most of their opportunities and mashed their way a doubleheader sweep over SIUE on Sunday afternoon.
The Skyhawks (9-11, 2-3 OVC) picked up a narrow 6-5 win in Game 1 against the Cougars before coming back in Game 2 with a run-away 8-2 victory to clinch the series sweep. With the victories, UT Martin picked up its first road sweep of SIUE in program history.
UT Martin’s offense boasted a .338 batting average on the afternoon while tallying 10 extra base hits and 14 RBIs in the twinbill. Graduate infielder Kaitlyn Kelley had a breakout contest after going 5-for-7 at the plate with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Also posting a big afternoon was newcomer Annie Gutierrez who went 2-for-4 at the dish with a home run and three RBIs. In total, eight players tallied multiple base hits in the doubleheader while Kiersten Nixon and Maddi Long also added home runs.
The Skyhawk pitching staff limited the Cougars to a .220 batting average on the afternoon. Katie Dreiling picked up her fourth win of the season after pitching in both contests and allowing just one earned run while striking out five in 6.1 innings of work. Brooklynn Linneman also picked up a victory in Game 2 after striking out six and allowing two earned runs in 5.1 frames.
Game 19: UT Martin 6, SIUE 5
UT Martin jumped onto the board first in the series as the tandem of Kelley and Long hit back-to-back solo home runs in the first two at bats of the second inning. Kelley’s blast to center field to lead off the frame marked the 29th of her career, putting her into a tie for third place in program history with Laura Roberts. Then just five pitches later, Long pulled a solo shot to left field to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 advantage.
SIUE charged back in the bottom of the third inning to not only tie the game up, but take the lead. A pair of walks proved costly for the Skyhawks after Emma Neuman made the squad pay with a double to right center to tie the game at two runs apiece. After a pitching change for the visitors, Sherri Mason gave the Cougars the lead on a RBI single before an error allowed the team’s fourth run to cross the plate.
The Skyhawks cut their two-run deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning. With two runners on base, Kelley came through with another big hit, lacing a double to right field to make it a one-run game.
Down to their final three outs while still trailing by a run, the Skyhawks scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to retake the lead. After loading the bases with one out, Kelley had her third big hit of the game as she erased the deficit and gave the squad the lead with a two-run single through the left side. Leading by one run, Anna Hazlewood gave the Skyhawks a little breathing room with a RBI-single to center field to take a two-run advantage into the bottom half of the seventh.
The Cougars did not go away quietly as Neuman racked up another RBI on a single up the middle to cut the margin down to one run. With two runners on base and one out, the Skyhawks wrapped up the victory by turning a 5-3 double play to end the contest.
Game 20: UT Martin 8, SIUE 2
After the series opener proved to be a back-and-forth affair, the Skyhawks jumped out in Game 2 and never looked back. UT Martin got on the board in the second inning as Kallie Pickens tallied a double to center before coming around to score on a two-run home run by Nixon.
The Skyhawks added two more runs in the top of the third inning off Kelley’s second double of the day to score Kaci Fuller before later coming around to score herself on a RBI-single by Gutierrez.
SIUE got into the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth as Lauren Yslava doubled to make the score 4-1.
Gutierrez continued her big day in the top of the fifth as she belted a two-run home run to left field to give the Skyhawks a five-run advantage.
After the Cougars scored their second run of the night on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, the Skyhawks answered with two more runs in the top of the seventh. Pickens tallied her second double of the contest to plate a run before later coming around to score on another double – this time from Kyrsten Brown to give the Skyhawks an 8-2 lead which it would not relinquish.
UT Martin returns to action on Wednesday, March 22 when traveling to Louisville, Ky. to take on Marshall in a neutral site contest before playing Bellarmine later that afternoon.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information