SEVENTH INNING RALLIES BY GOVERNORS SPOIL SENIOR DAY FOR SKYHAWK SOFTBALL

Saturday, May 1

Martin, Tenn.

1 p.m.

UT Martin

25-15, 14-11

Austin Peay

24-14, 19-11

Austin Peay

UT Martin

SEVENTH INNING RALLIES BY GOVERNORS SPOIL SENIOR DAY FOR SKYHAWK SOFTBALL

5/1/2021 8:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 40: PDF Game 41: PDF Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team let a pair of seventh inning leads split away to drop both ends of the Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader by scores of 2-1 and 3-2 to Austin Peay and spoil Senior Day at Bettye Giles Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (25-16, 14-12 OVC) looked dominant for stretches of all three games of the series by holding the Governors scoreless over the first 13 innings. In total, the team would trail for just two half innings in the entire series but that would prove to be the only difference needed.

Austin Peay would not score its first run until the seventh inning of Game 2 of the series, but it was timely, ending the shutout and taking a late lead with two runs to even the series. Then in the finale, UT Martin jumped out to an early lead which it held throughout the contest before a defensive error gave the Govs new life and scored two runs in the top of the seventh to steal the series victory.

The results put a damper on a day which started with such joy as the Skyhawks honored its two seniors Aalia Bivens and Hannah Ridolfi in a pregame ceremony. The team also surprised graduate assistant Aly Walker with an on-field presentation after missing out on a proper Senior Day ceremony following a decorated career at Chattanooga when her senior season was abruptly canceled last year because of COVID-19.

UT Martin recorded 15 hits on the afternoon spread over the doubleheader with Paige Clark leading the team with four of her own. Bryleigh Carneal and Kaitlyn Kelley tallied three hits each while Shyanne Sheffield joined the group with a multi-hit outing of her own with two base knocks. Carneal, Kelley and Sheffield each drove in a run while the duo of Kelley and Sheffield did their damage with solo blasts.

Alexis Groet (12-5) earned the loss in both contests despite strong impressive outings inside the circle. Groet posted a 0.84 ERA in 8.1 innings of work, allowing one earned run while striking out four. Erin Gallagher earned the team's other start, allowing one earned run over 4.2 innings of work while Ridolfi walked one in an inning of relief.

Gallery: (5-1-2021) Softball vs. Austin Peay

Game 1: Austin Peay 2, UT Martin 1
UT Martin got on the board first following a pair of base hits in the bottom of the second inning. A leadoff single by Bivens opened the scoring frame before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Kaci Fuller. She would later come home to score as Carneal laced a single up the middle and dodged the tag at home to give the Skyhawks an early 1-0 advantage.

Groet kept the Govs off balance for much of the contest, including out of the hit column. It wasn't until the top of the sixth inning when Austin Peay finally tallied its first base hit on a single to left by Kendyl Weinzapfel.

The Skyhawks were clinging to their one-run margin heading into the seventh inning when Emily Harkleroad tied up the contest with one swing of the bat, lacing a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field as the first hitter of the inning. After another single up the middle by Drew Dudley, Groet's day was done and the Skyhawks turned to Ridolfi to try and preserve the tie game. A walk and a pair of stolen bases would see the Govs with runners on second and third with one out. The Skyhawks had a chance to nail the eventual game-winning run at the plate but an error allowed the run to score before the inning came to a close.

Game 2: Austin Peay 3, UT Martin 2
After dropping the heartbreaker earlier in the day, UT Martin turned to the long ball in the bottom of the first to try and turn the tide in the series finale. Sheffield got the scoring started by turning on a full-count pitch and poking it just inside the left field foul pole for a solo home run for her second homer of the season to put the team on top. Then on the next at-bat, Kelley went back-to-back with an opposite field blast for her 16^th home run of the season – giving the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead just three batters into the game.

Gallagher kept the Governors at bay until the top of the fifth inning when the visitors got on the board to cut the margin in half. Bailey Shorter singled to right field before moving into scoring position on the second out of the inning. She would then come around to score on a RBI double off the bat of Lexi Osowski down the left field line to make it 2-1.

Much like in the first game of the day, UT Martin took a one-run margin into the seventh inning before Austin Peay made its move. The Govs would be down to their final out with Groet on the mound and a runner on second base when Osowski hit a ball out to right field which was dropped for an error and allowed the game-tying run to score. Then on the following at-bat, Kelsey Gross singled to right center to score the go-ahead single and drive in Osowski from second to take the 3-2 advantage.

The Skyhawks would string together a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles by Clark and Sheffield to start the inning but the Govs would retire the next three consecutive batters to escape the jam and take the series victory.

UT Martin will close out the home portion of the 2021 season with an OVC doubleheader against Southeast Missouri on Tuesday, May 4. First pitch from Bettye Giles Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.