UT MARTIN SOFTBALL DROPS BOTH ENDS OF DOUBLEHEADER AND SERIES TO SIUE ON SATURDAY

Saturday, April 3

Edwardsville, Ill.

1 p.m.

UT Martin

SIUE

UT MARTIN SOFTBALL DROPS BOTH ENDS OF DOUBLEHEADER AND SERIES TO SIUE ON SATURDAY

4/3/2021 8:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 27: PDF Game 28: PDF

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team went on the road and gave Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE all they could handle but ultimately dropped both ends of today's doubleheader and the series with a pair of 4-3 and 6-3 losses on Saturday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (19-9, 8-7 OVC) were outhit in both contests on the day while being limited to just a .259 batting average in the doubleheader. UT Martin did tally 14 hits on the day with Macey Neal and Aalia Bivens leading the way with three hits each while Kaci Fuller and Kaitlyn Kelley also tallied multiple base knocks. Meanwhile, the Skyhawk trio of Neal, Kelley and Kallie Pickens each launched home runs of their own.

Alexis Groet (9-3, 1.18 ERA) and Hannah Ridolfi (4-2, 3.74 ERA) would be credited with losses on the afternoon. Groet struck out two while allowing just one earned run in four innings of work. Ridolfi and Erin Gallagher both allowed two earned runs in two innings of work while Seeley Layne was lights out in her two appearances, pitching four shutout innings.

Game 1: SIUE 4, UT Martin 3
SIUE jumped out to an early lead after being shutout in yesterday's contest as Alana Cobb-Adams launched a solo home run to right center on the fourth pitch she saw out of the leadoff spot in the bottom of the first.

UT Martin answered in the top of the second with two runs of its own. After a leadoff single by Bivens to set the table, Pickens turned on a 1-1 pitch and sent it over the left field wall for her second home run of the season to take a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars came right back to find the game's equalizer in the bottom of the second inning. Following a leadoff walk to Amber Storer and a steal by pinch runner Kylie Lane, the speedster remained in motion as she scored from second on a double to left field by Grace Lueke to tie the game.

SIUE added another run in the bottom of the third to take its second advantage of the game following a RBI-single by Storer to score Bailley Concatto on the play. The Cougars saw that margin grow with a RBI by Cobb-Adams – her second of the game – in the bottom of the fourth to hold a 4-2 advantage.

The Skyhawks cut into the margin in the top of the fifth is Neal stroked a home run to right field for her third of the season. With the lead down to one run, that would be as close as the team could get, failing to find the equalizer in the last two innings.

Game 2: SIUE 6, UT Martin 3
UT Martin wasted very little time jumping out to an early lead in the second game of the day as Fuller led off the inning with a single before trotting home on a two-run home run by Kelley to right field. The home run marked the 13^th of the season for Kelley – tying with Kenzi Tate (2013) and Megan Williams (2010) for the second most in program history.

SIUE began its comeback attempt in the bottom half of the inning as Zoe Schafer singled up the middle to cut the deficit in half.

The Skyhawks added their final run of the contest in the top of the second inning. A walk by Maddi Long and a single by Neal put runners on first and third with one out. On the next play, Chelsey Gore would drive in Emily Alexander from third on a fielder's choice to take a 3-1 lead.

SIUE used a big second inning to not only tie the contest but take the lead off a combination of three hits and a pair of errors. The first run would come home directly off an error before a single by Cobb-Adams tied the game at 3-3. The Cougars then found the go-ahead score as Concatto blasted a two-run home run to right field to take a 5-3 advantage.

The Cougars would put the game away with one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning off a sacrifice fly by King to bring the score to its final margin of 6-3.

UT Martin will return to action on Tuesday, April 6 when playing host to Memphis. Action from Bettye Giles Field is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m.