UT MARTIN SOFTBALL PICKS UP WIN OVER LOYOLA ON FINAL DAY OF SALUKI INVITATIONAL

Sunday, March 5

Carbondale, Ill.

12:45 pm

UT Martin

5-8

Loyola

4-14

Loyola

UT Martin

UT MARTIN SOFTBALL PICKS UP WIN OVER LOYOLA ON FINAL DAY OF SALUKI INVITATIONAL

3/5/2023 5:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Game 13: PDF

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team wrapped up its stay at the Saluki Invitational with a late inning 5-4 victory over Loyola on Sunday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (5-8) won two of three contests in the Saluki Invitational after scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to come away with a one-run win over Loyola in the tournament finale. The squad hammered out 10 hits on the afternoon while receiving a solid pitching performance.

Junior Kiersten Nixon paced the team with a 3-for-4 afternoon while Kaci Fuller, Kallie Pickens and Katie Dreiling also had multi-hit performances. Dreiling paced the team with a two-run double while Pickens and Avry Blume also had RBIs.

In the pitching circle, Nixon scattered three hits over 2.0 innings of work as the starter. Coming in relief, freshman Ashtyn Green (1-0) picked up her first collegiate victory after tossing five innings.

Loyola (4-14) got on the board first with two runs in the top of the second inning. After the first two batters of the inning reach, Tori Boysen put the Ramblers on the board with a single to right field. Then later in the frame, a double steal by Boysen and Madison Ebeling gave Loyola a 2-0 advantage.

The Skyhawks joined in on the scoring action in the bottom half of the inning. Dreiling led it off with a single up the middle before Anna Hazlewood joined her on basepaths by drawing a walk while the pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. With a strong opportunity at hand, Kyrsten Brown made the most of the chance with an RBI to cut the margin in half.

UT Martin later took its first lead of the game in the third inning as Dreiling doubled to left field and scored Kaitlyn Kelley and Nixon on the play to take a 3-2 advantage.

Loyola struck back in the sixth inning and ultimately took the led of back-to-back plays. Much like in the second inning, the Ramblers used a double steal of second and home to put a run on the board as Sophia Remsik and Jocelyn Currie completed the trickery. Then on the following play, Hannah Nalley doubled to left center to retake the lead by one run.

After falling behind once again, UT Martin wasted no time getting back on top in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs on the board, Fuller slapped a double into left field and came home to score on the next play via an RBI by Blume to tie the game. Still needing to find the go-ahead run, Pickens tallied her second hit of the game for an RBI which scored the contest's deciding run.

UT Martin's contest against Alabama A&M scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 has been canceled. The Skyhawks are still looking for a mid-week opponent but will open Ohio Valley Conference play beginning Saturday, March 11.