UT MARTIN SOFTBALL CONTINUES HOT-HITTING WITH 10-4 WIN OVER MEMPHIS TO SWEEP BLUES CITY CLASSIC

Sunday, March 6

Memphis, Tenn.

2:30 p.m.

UT Martin

Memphis

UT MARTIN SOFTBALL CONTINUES HOT-HITTING WITH 10-4 WIN OVER MEMPHIS TO SWEEP BLUES CITY CLASSIC

3/6/2022 7:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Stats PDF: Game 17

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team eclipsed double-digits in the scoring column for the third straight game on its way to a 10-4 road victory over Memphis on Sunday afternoon to clinch a sweep of the Blues City Classic.

The Skyhawks (12-5) pushed their winning streak to seven games after scoring 10 or more runs for the third consecutive game in the Blues City Classic – including a 10-run performance against tournament host Memphis on Sunday. UT Martin scratched out eight hits on the afternoon and seven RBIs while using good situational execution to successfully capitalize on four sacrifice opportunities which led to big scoring innings.

Additionally, today's victory marked the 500th career collegiate victory for head coach Brian Dunn. While Dunn possesses a 908-270-3 all-time record as a softball coach between his high school and collegiate career, Dunn improved to 500-142-3 during his 12-year collegiate career split between Union (1997-2005) and UT Martin (2020-22) - including a 51-34 mark with the Skyhawks.

The trio of Paige Clark, Katie Dreiling and Kallie Pickens each led the team with two hits each on the day. Pickens paced the team with a pair of doubles while Kaitlyn Kelley recorded a game-high three RBIs to bring her total up to 12 for the week. Along with the team's work in the batter's box, the Skyhawks also tallied four stolen bases with Clark leading the way with two to bring her career total up to 82 to move into a tie for third all-time in program history while Anna Blanton and Avry Blume each swiped one.

Junior pitcher Alexis Groet earned her fifth win of the season after striking out three and allowing zero earned runs in 4.2 innings of action in her seventh start. Dreiling appeared in relief where she allowed one hit and one earned run in 2.1 innings of work.

The Skyhawks wasted very little time getting on the scoreboard in the final game of the tournament by scratching across four runs in the top of the first inning. The game started with a single through the left side by Clark before she swiped second base to move into scoring position. After Dreiling drew a walk, Kelley brought the speedster in from second with a single down the left field line to put the road team on the board. The following play featured an error by the Tigers which resulted in two runs crossing the plate before Pickens continued her hot weekend by doubling to center for the team's fourth run.

UT Martin kept up its offensive momentum in the second inning by doubling up the score and taking an 8-0 advantage. The frame started off similarly as the first inning with Clark and Dreiling both reaching base on singles before Kelley drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right field. With pinch runner Blanton also advancing to third on the sacrifice fly, she came home to score on the next at bat as a sacrifice bunt by Hazlewood was once again misplayed resulting in the second run of the inning. Following Pickens' second double of the game and a walk by Kaci Fuller, a costly errant ball plunked Shyanne Sheffield to score the team's seventh run before a wild pitch on the ensuing at bat gave the squad an eight-run cushion.

Memphis finally broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the third inning to cut into the deficit. A double off the bat of Gracie Morton started the rally before scoring on a Skyhawk error. Then later in the frame, Taylor Smrt tallied the team's first RBI with a single to left center to score Alexis Dale and bring the margin to 8-2.

The Skyhawks added two more run in the top of the seventh inning after a pair of walks to Sheffield and Clark put a runner in scoring position set up the frame. The big hit of the inning came off the bat of Dreiling who singled to right field to score Sheffield before Clark came home on the next play from a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Kelley to make the score 10-2.

While Memphis added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of a RBI groundout by E'Mya Munford and the Skyhawks' second error of the contest – the game was well in hand as UT Martin earned the tournament sweep with a 10-4 victory.

UT Martin will wrap up the tournament portion of the 2022 schedule next week with matchups against Middle Tennessee and Illinois State on Friday, March 11 at the MTSU Invitational.