By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team scored early and often on the way to an 8-3 victory over Ohio Valley Conference foe Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon to open a three-game series.
The Skyhawks (18-19, 11-7 OVC) scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings and never looked back in the team’s final home series of the 2023 season. UT Martin scattered 12 hits throughout the game while three players tallied multi-hit performances. Meanwhile in the pitcher’s circle, the squad allowed just one earned run in seven innings.
In a weekend which is posed to have a lot of pomp and circumstance, graduate infielder Kallie Pickens set the tone for the squad by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored out of the two-hole in the lineup. Not to be outdone, junior Maddi Long also went 3-for-4 in the batter’s box while picking up two RBIs.
The offense was not restricted to just those two as Avry Blume also posted a multi-hit afternoon after going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Meanwhile, graduate infielder Kaitlyn Kelley also drove in a pair with a two-out single in the fifth inning.
The pitching staff split up the contest with nobody pitching more than three innings. Brooklynn Linneman earned the start and allowed zero earned runs in three innings while striking out three. Katie Dreiling (10-6) picked up her 10th win of the season after entering in the fourth inning and pitching two scoreless frames while allowing just one hit. Ashtyn Green closed out the contest with one earned run in two innings.
Lindenwood (13-25, 5-10 OVC) fell behind in an early hole but scratched out a few runs down the stretch. Theresa Snaidauf hit leadoff for the Lions and wrapped up the day with a two-hit afternoon. Meanwhile, Morgan Gersch also notched a multi-hit afternoon while adding one of the team’s RBIs, joining Tori Hatton and Mya Bethany with the others.
Avery Wapp (4-7) was credited with the loss after allowing nine hits and four earned runs over four innings of work. Molly Heidrick also saw action in the circle, allowing two runs in two innings.
UT Martin jumped out to an early advantage with two runs in the first inning. A walk by Dreiling was sandwiched between a pair of singles by Pickens and Long to load the bases. After the Lions got the second out of the inning they could not halt the Skyhawks opportunity, as Blume ripped a single to right field which allowed to runs to come home.
The home squad added to their advantage in the second inning. Two errors by Lindenwood proved costly as Kelley reached on a throwing error before Long later drove in a pair with a single to left field which was compounded by a fielding mishap in the outfield.
Lindenwood finally got on the board in the third inning. After Snaidauf reached on a single to center field, she swiped second base and advanced to third as the throw-down sailed into centerfield. With a runner at third base and one out, the Lions converted their opportunity as Hatton singled through the left side to cut into the deficit.
The score remained the same until the fifth inning when the Skyhawks blew the game wide open. Entering the half-inning with a three-run advantage, the Skyhawks pushed their margin out to seven with a four-run frame. After the first three batters of the inning reached via a pair of hits and a walk, Jordyn Hustey was hit with a pitch to drive in a run. The Lions nearly escaped the big inning with a pair of infield pop ups but the Skyhawks still made them pay as Kelley laced a two-run single through the left side before Dreiling worked a four-pitch at-bat into a bases loaded walk.
Facing a seven-run deficit, the Lions chipped away at the lead with an RBI-single by Gersch in the sixth inning before Bethany added the team’s third run of the game in the top of the seventh. The rally was too little, too late however, as the final score signaled the Skyhawks coming away with an 8-3 win.
Junior Katie Dreiling had a huge day to lift the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team to a doubleheader and series sweep of Ohio Valley Conference foe Lindenwood on Sunday afternoon. The Skyhawks picked up a win in the first game of the doubleheader with a comeback 4-2 victory while wrapping up the series with a dominant 9-0 shutout.
The Skyhawks (20-19, 13-7 OVC) moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season after picking up their third consecutive OVC series win and third sweep. The wins have also solidified a top-four seed in the upcoming OVC Softball Championship which is accompanied by an automatic bye into the double-elimination portion of the tournament field.
Prior to the contest, UT Martin honored its three players which were stepping on the dirt for their final home game at Bettye Giles Field. A pregame ceremony recognized Kaitlyn Kelley, Kallie Pickens and Shyanne Sheffield for their career achievements while their teammates made it a day to celebrate.
Leading the pack for the Skyhawks was the play of Dreiling who did it all on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she went 3-for-6 with three home runs and six RBIs in the doubleheader. Then in the pitcher’s circle, she earned wins 10 and 11 of the season after allowing just one run in nine innings of work – including a five-inning shutout to secure the series sweep.
While Dreiling was spraying home runs all over Bettye Giles Field, fellow junior Avry Blume joined in the action by going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. Meanwhile, the pair of Kelley and Kaci Fuller also recorded two-hit days while each tallying an RBI.
Game 38: UT Martin 4, Lindenwood 2
Lindenwood jumped on the board first in the front half of the doubleheader with a score in the opening half inning. Theresa Snaidauf began the game with a leadoff single before moving into scoring position by stealing second base and advancing to third on a throwing error. With the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home, Mya Bethany drove in the run with a single into left center to give the Lions a 1-0 advantage.
The lead was short-lived however as Dreiling hit her first of three home runs on the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the first inning, stroking a line drive off the left field scoreboard to tie up the contest.
The score remained tied until the top of the fifth inning. Much like in the first inning, Snaidauf proved troublesome with a bunt single before stealing second base – her second steal of the game. The Lions followed their earlier script as Bethany got the big knock again with a single to left to give the visitor’s a one-run lead.
UT Martin went into the bottom of the sixth looking for a rally and found it. Kelley led off the frame with a single to shortstop before being pulled for pinch runner Kennedy Brown. The pinch runner quickly moved into action by advancing into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Pickens before coming home to score on a fielder error on the following play to tie the game. With the deficit eliminated, the Skyhawks went for the lead and found it courtesy of an RBI-triple into the right center gap by Fuller to take the lead while a double by Blume on the following at-bat pushed the home team’s new-found lead out to a final 4-2 margin.
Game 39: UT Martin 9, Lindenwood 0 (Five Innings)
Much like in the first game, Dreiling was the first to put the Skyhawks on the board by blasting a two-run home run off the centerfield batter’s eye in the bottom of the first.
The home run surge continued in the second inning when Blume turned on the second pitch of her at bat and stroked it down the left field line for a solo home run – her fourth of the season – giving the Skyhawks a 3-0 advantage.
The fourth inning saw the Skyhawks break the score wide open by adding five crooked numbers on the scoreboard. The Skyhawks tallied four consecutive hits to lead off the bottom of the inning – including a pair of back-to-back knocks by Jordyn Hustey and Maddi Long to each drive in a run. Following an RBI groundout from Kelley to add the Skyhawks sixth run, Dreiling landed her final punch of the day by blasting a three-run home run to left center to push the margin out to nine runs.
With plenty of offense behind her, Dreiling followed up her third home run of the day by closing out her first career shutout in the fifth inning.
UT Martin will play its final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday, Apr. 25 when squaring off with Memphis in a neutral site matchup at the Henderson County SportsPlex in Lexington, Tenn. at 5:30 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information