By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The junior tandem of Kaci Fuller and Maddi Long played big roles for the Skyhawks by driving in five runs in the final two innings to lift the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team to an extra-innings victory over Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 6-3.
The Skyhawks (10-13, 3-3 OVC) received big plays down the stretch after trailing for the majority of the game. Trailing by two runs and down to their final two outs in the seventh inning, Long came off the bench to hit a double off the center field wall to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Then after exiting the contest in the first inning with an injury, Fuller re-entered in the bottom of the seventh and tied up the contest with a two-run single right up the middle.
With the game all knotted up and heading to extra innings, UT Martin looked to ride its momentum in the bottom of the eighth. After a pair of outs to lead off the frame, Anna Hazlewood once again kicked off the rally by drawing a walk before Kyrsten Brown put runners on the corners with a full-count single to right field. Needing that last hit, Long barreled up a 0-1 pitch and sailed it over the left field wall for a walk-off three run blast to give the Skyhawks the victory.
Four players registered multiple hits for the Skyhawks with Fuller and Long being joined by Katie Dreiling and Kaitlyn Kelley in the hit parade. Long led the team with three RBIs courtesy of her second home run of the season while Fuller added two and Kelley also drove in a run.
Brooklynn Linneman pitched 5.2 strong innings for the Skyhawks to start the game while striking out three and allowing two earned run – both of which came on solo home runs. Dreiling (5-3) entered in relief in the sixth inning and earned her fifth win of the season after allowing just one hit over the final 2.1 innings of work.
Tennessee State (13-13-1, 4-2 OVC) was limited to just four hits but still did damage with its opportunities as Nahtali Simpson and Onnika Spencer each tallied solo home runs while Ryla Taylor also put the Tigers on the board with a single in the sixth inning. Meanwhile in the pitching circle, Caitlyn Manus (10-9) pitched an impressive outing with 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team came away from Bettye Giles Field with an Ohio Valley Conference series victory after splitting Sunday’s doubleheader against visiting Tennessee State behind an impressive performance by junior Katie Dreiling.
Tennessee State picked up a win in Game 2 of the series by a final margin of 2-0 to snap an 18-game losing streak to the Skyhawks in a stretch which dated back to 2013. UT Martin rallied to secure the series victory with a strong 5-0 victory in Game 3.
The Skyhawks improved to 11-14 on the season while moving to .500 in OVC play with a 4-4 record. Meanwhile, Tennessee State moves to 14-14-1 overall and 5-3 in league action.
Dreiling carried a heavy load for the Skyhawks both in the pitching circle and in the batter’s box on Sunday. Along with appearing in all three contests in the series, Dreiling was part of a combined shutout after pitching 6.1 scoreless innings in the second game of the doubleheader while wrapping up the day with 8.1 scoreless innings of work and allowing just three hits on the day. In the batter’s box, Dreiling went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs.
Fellow juniors Kaci Fuller and Anna Hazlewood also posted multi-hit efforts in the doubleheader while Hazlewood added to her batting line by drawing a walk. While Dreiling launch an opposite field home run in the fifth inning, graduate infielder Kallie Pickens also launched a blast which cleared the left field scoreboard for her fourth home run of the season.
In addition to Dreiling’s impressive day in the circle, two other pitchers also saw action as Kiersten Nixon started the front end of the doubleheader and limited the Tigers to two runs in five innings of work. Brooklynn Linneman also pitched in relief, securing the team’s victory with a perfect two-thirds of an inning in the series finale.
Game 24: Tennessee State 2, UT Martin 0
The first game of the day proved to be a pitcher’s duel for both teams as both Nixon and Holly Ayala went pitch for pitch for much of the matchup. Neither team found any offensive traction until the top of the fifth inning when the Tigers snapped the no-hitter that Nixon was hurling by blasting a leadoff solo home run by Ryla Traylor to put the squad on the board. TSU later added to its lead following a double by Alyssi Drayton and an RBI-single by Mikayla Duke to take a 2-0 advantage.
After having its best scoring opportunity come and go in the fourth inning, the Skyhawks could only muster one base hit in the final three innings as Ayala clinched a shutout win for the Tigers.
Game 25: UT Martin 5, Tennessee State 0
The Skyhawks snapped a nine-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the third inning as freshman Jordyn Hustey converted on a scoring opportunity with a double into the left center gap to score Kyrsten Brown on the play. Then two batters later, Dreiling notched her first of three RBIs of the day with a single up the middle to bring home Hustey and take a 2-0 lead.
UT Martin added to its margin in the bottom of the fifth inning as Pickens cracked a solo home run that cleared the left field scoreboard. Then later in the frame, Dreiling added to her stellar afternoon by stroking the first pitch she saw down and over the left field wall for a two-run blast to give the Skyhawks a 5-0 advantage.
With plenty of offense in front of her, Dreiling stayed locked in by scattering only two hits while tossing just 67 pitches over 6.1 scoreless innings to pick up her sixth win of the season.
UT Martin had its upcoming midweek matchup against Mississippi Valley State cancelled due to player availability for MVSU. The Skyhawks will now return to action next weekend when traveling to new OVC member Southern Indiana for a three-game series beginning on Saturday, April 1.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information