UT MARTIN SOFTBALL USES THE HOME RUN BALL TO SWEEP OPENING DAY OF SKYHAWK HAMPTON INN CLASSIC

Friday, March 15

Martin, Tenn.

3 p.m.

UT Martin

13-10

Green Bay

3-7

Green Bay

UT Martin

UT MARTIN SOFTBALL USES THE HOME RUN BALL TO SWEEP OPENING DAY OF SKYHAWK HAMPTON INN CLASSIC

3/15/2019 11:10:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 23: PDF Game 24: PDF Photo Gallery

MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball brought its power bats out of storage just in time for the opening day of the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic. The Skyhawks would belt three home runs during the twinbill – including a walk-off two-run home by Shelby Woodward to notch victories of 5-3 and 5-4 against visiting Green Bay.

Game 23: UT Martin 5, Green Bay 3
In the opening game of the tournament, it was the visitors from Green Bay whom jumped out to an early lead. Three consecutive singles would load the bases before a sacrifice fly and a single by Greta Thompson to right center plated a pair early.

The Skyhawks would look to cut into that deficit in the bottom of the second inning. After Haylee Short tallied a one-out base hit through the right side, she moved into scoring position by swiping second base before advancing to third on a wild pitch. After the Skyhawks were granted new life on a dropped foul, Short later came home to score on the Phoenix' second wild pitch of the inning.

UT Martin waited until the bottom of the fifth inning to explode offensively. Sophomore Paige Clark would serve as a spark plug, not only reaching on an infield single before stealing both second and third prior to scampering home on a throwing error. With the game tied once again, a two-run home run by Gracyn McBride brought the Skyhawk faithful to their feet to give UT Martin a 4-2 lead. While the lead was secure the Skyhawks looked for more insurance in the frame as Aalia Bivens scored on a fielding error.

The Phoenix would string together one final push in the top of the sixth inning. Green Bay would trim the deficit to two points on a RBI single by Bailey Schultz through the left side but that would be as close as the squad would get as UT Martin secure a 5-3 victory.

Freshman Lexi Ray (5-4) earned her fifth victory of the season after allowing two earned runs in seven innings of work.

Game 24: UT Martin 5, Green Bay 4
Both teams waited with a flair for the dramatic to get on the board in the second game of the day. A solo home run by Aalia Bivens – her first of the year – led off the bottom of the fifth. The Skyhawks would score another run in the frame off a wild pitch to plate Short while a RBI-single by Garst gave the squad a three-run lead.

Green Bay responded in the top of the sixth as a coaching decision to bring in Kalyssa Koehn resulted in a pinch-hit grand slam to put the visitors on top 4-3 in the sixth.

UT Martin did not go down quietly however. While the bottom of the seventh looked bleak, another dropped foul, the sound by the Phoenix on the day, would come back to hurt them. In what would have been the second out of the inning, Georgia Land laced a double down the left field line. With a run in scoring position, UT Martin head coach Donley Canary looked for some late game magic himself as he went to the bench looking for senior Shelby Woodard. His gut reaction would be validated when the senior turned on a full-count pitch and drove it over the left field wall for a walk-off two-run home run.

Hannah Ridolfi earned the start and was let off the hook after allowing four runs in 5.1 innings of work. Sophomore Caitlin Karo (3-2) would appear in relief and toss 1.2 innings of scoreless ball to earn the victory.

UT Martin will return to action with Day Two of the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic on Saturday, March 16. The Skyhawks will take on Akron at 12:30 p.m. before hosting Green Bay at 3 p.m.