SKYHAWK PITCHING DUO BLANKS OVC FOE SIUE FOR A 3-0 SHUTOUT VICTORY IN SERIES OPENER

Friday, April 2

Edwardsville, Ill.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

19-7, 8-5

SIUE

5-16, 5-10

UT Martin

SIUE

Photo by: Patrick Clark/Athletes Eye Photography

SKYHAWK PITCHING DUO BLANKS OVC FOE SIUE FOR A 3-0 SHUTOUT VICTORY IN SERIES OPENER

4/2/2021 10:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score PDF

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – For the fifth time this season, the University of Tennessee at Martin softball squad tossed a shutout as the Skyhawks came away with a 3-0 triumph in the series opener at Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE.

In the process, UT Martin won its sixth consecutive road contest and improved to 19-7 overall with a 8-5 OVC record.

Alexis Groet and Hannah Ridolfi joined forces for the combined shutout. Groet moved to 9-2 on the season after conceding just four hits while fanning five batters over six frames. Ridolfi entered in the seventh and retired the side in order for the second save in her four-year Skyhawk career.

At the plate, Kallie Pickens drove in a pair of runs while Aalia Bivens and Maddi Long each had two hits apiece. Kaitlyn Kelley was responsible for the other RBI while Bivens, Paige Clark and Chelsey Gore each scored for UT Martin, who doubled up the Cougars (eight to four) in the hit column.

Groet pitched around a harmless one-out walk in the first and registered a pair of called strikeouts in the second inning.

The Skyhawks got on the scoreboard in the top of the third after Gore was issued a leadoff walk. She moved up to second on sacrifice bunt off the bat of Kaci Fuller and later advanced to third on a deep flyout to right field by Shyanne Sheffield. Kelley then came through with a clutch single through the left side to plate Gore and put UT Martin on top by a 1-0 margin.

That lone run would be enough for Groet as the sophomore from Oskaloosa, Iowa dialed up two more strikeouts in the bottom of the third. She worked her way through two baserunners in the fourth to throw up another zero on the scoreboard, keeping the Skyhawks' one-run advantage intact.

A slick defensive play helped UT Martin get out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth. After SIUE placed a pair of runners in scoring position with just one out, the Cougars lined into an inning-ending double play as Macey Neal snared the hard-hit liner and threw behind the runner at third base to keep momentum on the Skyhawks' side.

UT Martin fed off that energy in the top of the sixth as Bivens roped a double to lead off the frame. Clark followed with a bunt single and then stole second to bring up Pickens. The sophomore third baseman from Jackson, Tenn. came through for a big two-run single to extend the Skyhawk lead out to 3-0.

More sound defensive play highlighted the bottom of the sixth for UT Martin as the Skyhawks turned a leadoff walk into a flyout double play. SIUE followed with back-to-back baserunners but Groet dug deep for a huge strikeout to strand the tying run at the plate.

Ridolfi took over in the seventh and did not allow the Cougars a chance to get going, needing only 14 pitches to induce a pair of groundouts and a flyout.

These two teams put the finishing touches on their series on Saturday, April 3 when they play a doubleheader that will start at 1 p.m. from Cougar Field.