Sunday, April 25
Nashville, Tenn.
3 p.m.
UT Martin
23-13, 12-9
7
at
6
Belmont
11-22, 7-16
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
UT Martin
0
0
2
0
1
2
1
0
0
0
1
7
13
2
Belmont
0
0
2
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
10
3
SOFTBALL SKYHAWKS SCRATCH OUT 7-6 EXTRA INNINGS VICTORY OVER BELMONT TO STEAL GAME ONE WHILE HOLDING 7-3 LEAD IN HALTED GAME TWO
4/25/2021 10:59:00 PM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team went on the road and scratched out a 7-6 extra innings victory at Ohio Valley Conference foe Belmont after trailing by three in the sixth inning before rallying and pushing across the game-winning run in the top of the 11th. Then in Game 2, the Skyhawks jumped out early before the game was halted after six innings of play with action to be resumed tomorrow.
The Skyhawks (23-13, 13-9 OVC) endured a long day of softball, playing 17 innings but could not complete both games of the scheduled doubleheader. With Game 1 going 11 innings and lasting four hours, the second contest of the twinbill did not start until after 7:30 p.m. Following the completion of the sixth inning, the game was halted with UT Martin leading 7-3 due to a 9:50 curfew at Rose Park set by Metro Guidelines. The two teams will resume the top of the seventh inning starting at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon with the series finale slated immediately after.
UT Martin's offense was potent on the day, tallying 22 base hits over parts of the two contests while tallying 13 RBIs. Kaci Fuller paced the team with five base hits on the day while hitting for a combined cycle over the two contest with two singles, a double, a triple and a home run – the game-winning shot in the 11th inning of Game 1. Kaitlin Kelley registered four hits on the day with two doubles and a home run – posting her single-season record 15th blast – while driving in four RBIs. Shyanne Sheffield, Paige Clark and Kallie Pickens also tallied three base hits on the day.
Stepping up in a huge way inside the circle was Alexis Groet (11-3, 1.24 ERA) who picked up her 11th win of the season with a dominating performance. Appearing in both contests, she made her biggest splash in relief in Game 1, entering in a critical fifth inning after four runs had scored and promptly getting three immediate outs to end the frame. She pitched 7.0 innings of scoreless relief in the contest while striking out 10 and allowing just one hit. Then in Game 2 she earned the start and struck out four in two scoreless frames.
Game 1: UT Martin 7, Belmont 6 (11 innings)
UT Martin jumped on the board first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Sheffield led off the frame with a single through the left side following a lengthy nine-pitch at-bat. Just three pitches later, Kelley blasted her 15th home run of the season to take sole possession of the program's single-season home run record which was previously held by Jenny Bain (14) set in 2009.
Belmont struck back to tie the contest in the bottom half of the inning. An error proved costly as Cheyenne Cavanaugh came around to score on a RBI-single by Kailey Brown. A single on the following play kept the train rolling before a sacrifice fly by Lauren Veltri tied the contest at two runs apiece after three innings of play.
The score would remain tied until the top of the fifth inning. Sheffield reached base on the first pitch of the inning via an error before later moving to third following a single and a sacrifice bunt. With the go-ahead run standing just 60 feet from home, the Bruins second defensive miscue of the inning brought the Skyhawks' third run home to score to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
The Bruins found their offensive stroke in the bottom of the fifth inning as three different Skyhawk pitchers were charged with trying to slow down the home team. Erin Gallagher looked to continue her good start to the day, but a leadoff triple followed by a single chased the starter out of the contest with the contest tied at three. New pitcher Seeley Layne entered and gave up three straight hits, including two doubles with a single sandwiched between the pair, to plate two more run giving the Bruins a 6-3 lead. Enter Groet which retired the only three batters she faced to end the threat.
With the Skyhawks down to their final six outs of the contest and trailing by three runs, they began to chip away in the top of the sixth. Clark began their rally with two outs as she tallied an infield single before Sheffield worked a 12-pitch walk to put a pair of runners on base. With a pair of speedsters on base and the OVC leader in RBIs at the plate, Kelley came up clutch with a double to center to clear the bases and make it a 6-5 game.
Still needing one more run, Fuller led off the top of the seventh with a single to left center before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Maddi Long. Just needing a hit to get the tying run home with one of the team's fastest players on base in Fuller, Pickens did just that, lofting a single into center to score Fuller and tie the game at 6-6.
Belmont posted arguably its best scoring opportunity in the final innings in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff triple by Abi Ledbetter to left field spelled troubled for the Skyhawks followed by a walk to Veltri. After the first two players for the Bruins moved into scoring position, Groet dropped the anchor in the circle, getting a foul out to the catcher and a pair of strikeouts to strand the potential game-winning run at third base.
Neither team would find much success offensively in extra innings until the Skyhawks found the one hit they needed in the top of the 11th. Facing an 0-2 count out of the leadoff spot in the frame, Fuller turned on the pitch to right center for her fourth home run of the season to score the ultimate game-winner and give the Skyhawks a 7-6 lead.
Game 2: UT Martin 7, Belmont 3 (Halted in the Top of the Seventh)
The Skyhawks scored four runs in the second inning and another three in the third to chase Belmont's starting pitcher out of the game early. After that, the Skyhawks turned the game over to the pitching duo of Hannah Ridolfi and Erin Gallagher for the next four innings of action.
The Bruins would score a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one in the sixth before the game was halted due to curfew in the Nashville Metro area with UT Martin leading 7-3.
A full recap of Game 2 will be provided at the completion of the contest.
UT Martin and Belmont will wrap up the remainder of Game 2 on Monday, April 26 at 1 p.m. with the finale to follow.
The Skyhawks (23-13, 13-9 OVC) endured a long day of softball, playing 17 innings but could not complete both games of the scheduled doubleheader. With Game 1 going 11 innings and lasting four hours, the second contest of the twinbill did not start until after 7:30 p.m. Following the completion of the sixth inning, the game was halted with UT Martin leading 7-3 due to a 9:50 curfew at Rose Park set by Metro Guidelines. The two teams will resume the top of the seventh inning starting at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon with the series finale slated immediately after.
UT Martin's offense was potent on the day, tallying 22 base hits over parts of the two contests while tallying 13 RBIs. Kaci Fuller paced the team with five base hits on the day while hitting for a combined cycle over the two contest with two singles, a double, a triple and a home run – the game-winning shot in the 11th inning of Game 1. Kaitlin Kelley registered four hits on the day with two doubles and a home run – posting her single-season record 15th blast – while driving in four RBIs. Shyanne Sheffield, Paige Clark and Kallie Pickens also tallied three base hits on the day.
Stepping up in a huge way inside the circle was Alexis Groet (11-3, 1.24 ERA) who picked up her 11th win of the season with a dominating performance. Appearing in both contests, she made her biggest splash in relief in Game 1, entering in a critical fifth inning after four runs had scored and promptly getting three immediate outs to end the frame. She pitched 7.0 innings of scoreless relief in the contest while striking out 10 and allowing just one hit. Then in Game 2 she earned the start and struck out four in two scoreless frames.
Game 1: UT Martin 7, Belmont 6 (11 innings)
UT Martin jumped on the board first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Sheffield led off the frame with a single through the left side following a lengthy nine-pitch at-bat. Just three pitches later, Kelley blasted her 15th home run of the season to take sole possession of the program's single-season home run record which was previously held by Jenny Bain (14) set in 2009.
Congratulations to @UTM_Softball sophomore Kaitlyn Kelley on setting the program's single-season home run record with her 15th of the year, surpassing Jenny Bain's mark of 14 set in 2009. pic.twitter.com/yTq6SLMhNv
— UT Martin Athletics (@UTMSports) April 25, 2021
Belmont struck back to tie the contest in the bottom half of the inning. An error proved costly as Cheyenne Cavanaugh came around to score on a RBI-single by Kailey Brown. A single on the following play kept the train rolling before a sacrifice fly by Lauren Veltri tied the contest at two runs apiece after three innings of play.
The score would remain tied until the top of the fifth inning. Sheffield reached base on the first pitch of the inning via an error before later moving to third following a single and a sacrifice bunt. With the go-ahead run standing just 60 feet from home, the Bruins second defensive miscue of the inning brought the Skyhawks' third run home to score to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
The Bruins found their offensive stroke in the bottom of the fifth inning as three different Skyhawk pitchers were charged with trying to slow down the home team. Erin Gallagher looked to continue her good start to the day, but a leadoff triple followed by a single chased the starter out of the contest with the contest tied at three. New pitcher Seeley Layne entered and gave up three straight hits, including two doubles with a single sandwiched between the pair, to plate two more run giving the Bruins a 6-3 lead. Enter Groet which retired the only three batters she faced to end the threat.
With the Skyhawks down to their final six outs of the contest and trailing by three runs, they began to chip away in the top of the sixth. Clark began their rally with two outs as she tallied an infield single before Sheffield worked a 12-pitch walk to put a pair of runners on base. With a pair of speedsters on base and the OVC leader in RBIs at the plate, Kelley came up clutch with a double to center to clear the bases and make it a 6-5 game.
Still needing one more run, Fuller led off the top of the seventh with a single to left center before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Maddi Long. Just needing a hit to get the tying run home with one of the team's fastest players on base in Fuller, Pickens did just that, lofting a single into center to score Fuller and tie the game at 6-6.
Belmont posted arguably its best scoring opportunity in the final innings in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff triple by Abi Ledbetter to left field spelled troubled for the Skyhawks followed by a walk to Veltri. After the first two players for the Bruins moved into scoring position, Groet dropped the anchor in the circle, getting a foul out to the catcher and a pair of strikeouts to strand the potential game-winning run at third base.
Neither team would find much success offensively in extra innings until the Skyhawks found the one hit they needed in the top of the 11th. Facing an 0-2 count out of the leadoff spot in the frame, Fuller turned on the pitch to right center for her fourth home run of the season to score the ultimate game-winner and give the Skyhawks a 7-6 lead.
Game 2: UT Martin 7, Belmont 3 (Halted in the Top of the Seventh)
The Skyhawks scored four runs in the second inning and another three in the third to chase Belmont's starting pitcher out of the game early. After that, the Skyhawks turned the game over to the pitching duo of Hannah Ridolfi and Erin Gallagher for the next four innings of action.
The Bruins would score a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one in the sixth before the game was halted due to curfew in the Nashville Metro area with UT Martin leading 7-3.
A full recap of Game 2 will be provided at the completion of the contest.
UT Martin and Belmont will wrap up the remainder of Game 2 on Monday, April 26 at 1 p.m. with the finale to follow.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Groet, Alexis (11-3)
L: Clesi, ALex (3-9)
Batting:
2B: Kelley, Kaitlyn 2
3B: Fuller, Kaci 1
HR: Kelley, Kaitlyn 1 ; Fuller, Kaci 1
RBI: Kelley, Kaitlyn 4 ; Fuller, Kaci 1 ; Pickens, Kallie 1
SH: Sheffield, Shyanne 1 ; Kelley, Kaitlyn 1 ; Bivens, Aalia 1 ; Long, Maddi 1 ; Pickens, Kallie 1 ; Gore, Chelsey 1 ; Lusk, Gracie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clark, Paige 1 ; Sheffield, Shyanne 3 ; Kelley, Kaitlyn 1 ; Fuller, Kaci 2
Batting:
2B: Ledbetter, Abi 1 ; Lyle, Audrey 1 ; Varner, Kaley 1
3B: Cavanaugh, Cheyenne 1 ; Ledbetter, Abi 1
RBI: Brown, Kailey 2 ; Veltri, Lauren 3 ; Lyle, Audrey 1
SH: Cavanaugh, Cheyenne 1
SF: Veltri, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cavanaugh, Cheyenne 2 ; Brown, Kailey 2 ; Ledbetter, Abi 1 ; Veltri, Lauren 1
SB: Cavanaugh, Cheyenne 1
CS: Brown, Kailey 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
4
2b/ss
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
6
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSkyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 33
Monday, April 21
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 30
Thursday, April 10
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 27
Thursday, April 10
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 2, Episode 24
Thursday, April 10