Friday, February 18
Statesboro, Ga.
11:30 a.m.
UT Martin
3-2
11
vs
3
Maine
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
UT Martin
0
1
4
0
6
11
13
1
Maine
0
0
2
1
0
3
6
4
SKYHAWK SOFTBALL SLUGS THEIR WAY TO SWEEP ON DAY ONE OF GATA CHALLENGE
2/18/2022 11:18:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team slugged eight extra base hits and scored 15 runs to pick up a sweep on Day One of the Gata Challenge with wins over Maine (11-3) and host Georgia Southern (4-3) to open its tournament appearance.
The Skyhawks (4-2) posted a big day offensively by tallying 21 hits in the two games while boasting a .362 batting average as a team. UT Martin peppered the gaps with five doubles while launching three home runs to notch 15 RBIs in the pair of victories.
Sophomore Katie Dreiling paced the Skyhawks with four hits on the day – including a pair of doubles – while driving in a run. The team's other three doubles were scattered by Emily Gilstrap, Kaci Fuller and Kallie Pickens while the trio of Kaitlyn Kelley, Shyanne Sheffield and Avry Blume secured their first home runs of the season. While five different players droving in multiple runs, newcomer Anna Hazlewood led the team with three RBIs on a pair of base knocks.
UT Martin's pitching staff combined to post a 3.50 ERA in 12 innings of work. Graduate Seeley Layne (2-0, 2.33 ERA) started Game 1 and lasted four innings on the way to her second victory while issuing zero walks. Erin Gallagher pitched in relief, allowing just a hit in her lone inning of work. Junior Alexis Groet (2-1, 1.68 ERA) started the afternoon matchup where she struck out nine and allowed three earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. Dreiling also contributed in the circle where she closed out the sixth inning, pitching a scoreless third of an inning.
Game 5: UT Martin 11, Maine 3 (Five innings)
For the second time in three games, UT Martin run-ruled an opponent with a strong showing against Maine.
The Skyhawks were the first team to get on the board with a lone run in the top of the second inning. Fuller laced an opposite field double into left before advancing to third on a wild pitch with one out. After a walk to Hazlewood to set up the opportunity, Maddi Long scored the game's first run with a RBI to the right side which was booted by the first baseman to put UT Martin on top.
The third inning saw the flood gates start to waver as a pair of errors by Maine and three hits led to four runs for the Skyhawks. An error led off the inning before a single by Dreiling through the right side and a fielder's choice had runners on the corners with one out. Trying to play small ball, Pickens laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring in a run with a RBI before another error led to two runs scoring on the play. Holding a three-run advantage, Hazlewood added two more runs to the margin with a single up the middle to make it a 5-0 contest.
Maine did not go quietly however as a leadoff double in the bottom half of the third to left center by Izzy Nieblas was followed by a two-run home run by Gabby Papushka to cut into the deficit. The Black Bears then added another long ball in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Kelby Drews to bring the score to 5-3 heading to the fifth.
After back-to-back scoring innings by Maine to cut into the team's lead, UT Martin looked to put the finishing touches on its victory in the top of the fifth inning. The frame started with a single through the left side by Pickens before she advanced to second on a wild pitch and was joined in scoring position by Fuller following a walk and a throwing error. With two runners in scoring position, Hazlewood dumped a single into right for a RBI before Blume followed two batters later with a bunt single for a RBI to make it a four-run contest again.
With the half inning down to its last out the Skyhawks turned to pinch hitter Emily Gilstrap who cashed in on her opportunity once again with a two-run double down the right field line before Dreiling followed right behind with a double of her own to score the team's 10th run of the contest. The scoring was not over however as Kelley kept the train rolling with a single to right field before a double to left center by Pickens brought the margin to eight runs and an eventual final score of 11-3.
Game 6: UT Martin 4, Georgia Southern 3
After a lengthy layoff, UT Martin returned to action against the tournament host in the late afternoon and jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With back-to-back outs to start the inning, Dreiling doubled to center to continue the frame before Kelley tallied the big blast with her first home run of the season, sailing the two-run shot to center field.
The host cut the margin in half in the bottom of the fourth inning with a home run of their own as Georgia Southern's Faith Shirley hit a solo blast to left center.
UT Martin responded in the top of the fifth by getting that run back and some. After an innocent groundout to start the inning, the Skyhawks tallied back-to-back solo home runs by Blume and Sheffield to give the visitors a 4-1 advantage.
The Eagles kept fighting back by trimming the deficit down to one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a leadoff single by Chandler Caldwell to start the inning, Shirley struck again with her second home run of the game – this time a two-run jack to right field – to bring the score to 4-3.
After escaping with the lead in hand in the bottom of the sixth off the pitching shoulder of Dreiling, the Skyhawks turned the ball back over to Groet to close out her own win opportunity in the seventh. The Eagles ultimately drew three walks in the inning but could not get the tying run across the plate.
UT Martin will continue its stay at the Gata Challenge on Saturday when squaring off in back-to-back contests against North Dakota State (9 a.m.) and Georgia Southern (11:30 a.m.). The contest against Georgia Southern will be broadcast on ESPN3.
The Skyhawks (4-2) posted a big day offensively by tallying 21 hits in the two games while boasting a .362 batting average as a team. UT Martin peppered the gaps with five doubles while launching three home runs to notch 15 RBIs in the pair of victories.
Sophomore Katie Dreiling paced the Skyhawks with four hits on the day – including a pair of doubles – while driving in a run. The team's other three doubles were scattered by Emily Gilstrap, Kaci Fuller and Kallie Pickens while the trio of Kaitlyn Kelley, Shyanne Sheffield and Avry Blume secured their first home runs of the season. While five different players droving in multiple runs, newcomer Anna Hazlewood led the team with three RBIs on a pair of base knocks.
UT Martin's pitching staff combined to post a 3.50 ERA in 12 innings of work. Graduate Seeley Layne (2-0, 2.33 ERA) started Game 1 and lasted four innings on the way to her second victory while issuing zero walks. Erin Gallagher pitched in relief, allowing just a hit in her lone inning of work. Junior Alexis Groet (2-1, 1.68 ERA) started the afternoon matchup where she struck out nine and allowed three earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. Dreiling also contributed in the circle where she closed out the sixth inning, pitching a scoreless third of an inning.
Game 5: UT Martin 11, Maine 3 (Five innings)
For the second time in three games, UT Martin run-ruled an opponent with a strong showing against Maine.
The Skyhawks were the first team to get on the board with a lone run in the top of the second inning. Fuller laced an opposite field double into left before advancing to third on a wild pitch with one out. After a walk to Hazlewood to set up the opportunity, Maddi Long scored the game's first run with a RBI to the right side which was booted by the first baseman to put UT Martin on top.
The third inning saw the flood gates start to waver as a pair of errors by Maine and three hits led to four runs for the Skyhawks. An error led off the inning before a single by Dreiling through the right side and a fielder's choice had runners on the corners with one out. Trying to play small ball, Pickens laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring in a run with a RBI before another error led to two runs scoring on the play. Holding a three-run advantage, Hazlewood added two more runs to the margin with a single up the middle to make it a 5-0 contest.
Maine did not go quietly however as a leadoff double in the bottom half of the third to left center by Izzy Nieblas was followed by a two-run home run by Gabby Papushka to cut into the deficit. The Black Bears then added another long ball in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Kelby Drews to bring the score to 5-3 heading to the fifth.
After back-to-back scoring innings by Maine to cut into the team's lead, UT Martin looked to put the finishing touches on its victory in the top of the fifth inning. The frame started with a single through the left side by Pickens before she advanced to second on a wild pitch and was joined in scoring position by Fuller following a walk and a throwing error. With two runners in scoring position, Hazlewood dumped a single into right for a RBI before Blume followed two batters later with a bunt single for a RBI to make it a four-run contest again.
With the half inning down to its last out the Skyhawks turned to pinch hitter Emily Gilstrap who cashed in on her opportunity once again with a two-run double down the right field line before Dreiling followed right behind with a double of her own to score the team's 10th run of the contest. The scoring was not over however as Kelley kept the train rolling with a single to right field before a double to left center by Pickens brought the margin to eight runs and an eventual final score of 11-3.
Game 6: UT Martin 4, Georgia Southern 3
After a lengthy layoff, UT Martin returned to action against the tournament host in the late afternoon and jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With back-to-back outs to start the inning, Dreiling doubled to center to continue the frame before Kelley tallied the big blast with her first home run of the season, sailing the two-run shot to center field.
The host cut the margin in half in the bottom of the fourth inning with a home run of their own as Georgia Southern's Faith Shirley hit a solo blast to left center.
UT Martin responded in the top of the fifth by getting that run back and some. After an innocent groundout to start the inning, the Skyhawks tallied back-to-back solo home runs by Blume and Sheffield to give the visitors a 4-1 advantage.
The Eagles kept fighting back by trimming the deficit down to one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a leadoff single by Chandler Caldwell to start the inning, Shirley struck again with her second home run of the game – this time a two-run jack to right field – to bring the score to 4-3.
After escaping with the lead in hand in the bottom of the sixth off the pitching shoulder of Dreiling, the Skyhawks turned the ball back over to Groet to close out her own win opportunity in the seventh. The Eagles ultimately drew three walks in the inning but could not get the tying run across the plate.
UT Martin will continue its stay at the Gata Challenge on Saturday when squaring off in back-to-back contests against North Dakota State (9 a.m.) and Georgia Southern (11:30 a.m.). The contest against Georgia Southern will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Layne, Seeley (2-0)
L: Reid, Emily (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Gilstrap, Emily 1 ; Dreiling, Katie 1 ; Pickens, Kallie 1 ; Fuller, Kaci 1
RBI: Gilstrap, Emily 2 ; Dreiling, Katie 1 ; Pickens, Kallie 2 ; Fuller, Kaci 1 ; Hazlewood, Anna 3 ; Long, Maddi 1 ; Blume, Avry 1
SH: Pickens, Kallie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sheffield, Shyanne 1 ; Gilstrap, Emily 1 ; Dreiling, Katie 1 ; Kelley, Kaitlyn 1 ; Pickens, Kallie 2 ; Fuller, Kaci 3 ; Hazlewood, Anna 1 ; Blume, Avry 1
SB: Sheffield, Shyanne 1 ; Fuller, Kaci 1
CS: Clark, Paige 1
Batting:
2B: Nieblas, Izzy 1
HR: Drews, Kelby 1 ; Papushka, Gabby 1
RBI: Drews, Kelby 1 ; Papushka, Gabby 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Drews, Kelby 1 ; Nieblas, Izzy 1 ; Papushka, Gabby 1
CS: Enos, Kya 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
rf/ss
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
OF/C
/ SoftballIF/P
/ SoftballOF/IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/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