GALLAGHER TOSSES FOURTH CAREER SHUTOUT IN 1-0 VICTORY OVER BELMONT

Saturday, April 2

Martin, Tenn.

2 p.m.

UT Martin

19-11, 4-3

Belmont

17-8, 8-1

Belmont

UT Martin

GALLAGHER TOSSES FOURTH CAREER SHUTOUT IN 1-0 VICTORY OVER BELMONT

4/2/2022 4:40:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Stats PDF: Game 30

MARTIN, Tenn. – Veteran pitcher Erin Gallagher opened the series on the right foot for the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team by pitching a shutout to lift the Skyhawks to a 1-0 victory over red-hot Belmont at Bettye Giles Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (19-11, 4-3 OVC) picked up their eighth straight win at home this season behind an impressive performance in the circle by their fourth-year pitcher. Gallagher picked up her sixth win of the season and 25^th of her career to end the Bruins lengthy 11-game winning streak. She notched her fourth career shutout by limiting the visitors to just four hits on the afternoon while striking out three.

UT Martin scratched out four hits in the contest including two timely knocks in the bottom of the sixth inning which proved to be the difference in the game. Sophomore Kaci Fuller paced the team with two hits on the day along with the eventual game-winning RBI double. The Skyhawk pair of Paige Clark and Kallie Pickens also joined the hit column on the afternoon.

Belmont (17-8, 8-1 OVC) saw its winning streak come to an end but also received an impressive pitching outing from its ace in the circle. Sophomore Emma Summers (7-3) held the Skyhawks at bay for much of the contest, finishing the day with eight strikeouts, one earned run and four hits allowed in six innings of work.

The Bruins best scoring opportunity came in the third inning when Audrey Lyle doubled down the left field line with one out. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt and an ensuing walk followed, the Bruins had a pair of baserunners on the bags. Despite a little traffic, Gallagher relied on her defense and got an innocent groundout to escape the inning unscathed.

After being held hitless for the first three innings, the Skyhawks tallied hits in both the fourth and fifth innings. Then the game took a turn in the home team's direction in the bottom of the sixth after Clark singled up the middle to start a new potential rally. With the speedster on first, Fuller laced a double into the right center gap and Clark motored around the bases to score the go-ahead run to make the score 1-0.

The one run was all Gallagher and the Skyhawks needed to win the game. A big relay from catcher Maddi Long and shortstop Shyanne Sheffield in the top of the seventh caught a runner stealing second before back-to-back innocent outs ended the game in the home team's favor.

UT Martin will return to action for the final two games of the series on Sunday, Apr. 3 against Belmont with first pitch from Bettye Giles Field scheduled for noon.