BIG DAY BY DREILING HIGHLIGHTS STRONG OPENER FOR UT MARTIN SOFTBALL AGAINST TENNESSEE TECH

Friday, April 7

Martin, Tenn.

2 pm

UT Martin

13-17, 6-6

Tennessee Tech

3-32, 0-10

Tennessee Tech

UT Martin

BIG DAY BY DREILING HIGHLIGHTS STRONG OPENER FOR UT MARTIN SOFTBALL AGAINST TENNESSEE TECH

4/7/2023 5:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Game 30: PDF

MARTIN, Tenn. – Junior Katie Dreiling did a little bit of everything for the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team to lift the squad to a 10-4 victory over Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech on Friday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (13-17, 6-6 OVC) opened the three-game series on the right foot after exploding for six runs in the opening frame and adding on in the later innings to cruise to a 10-4 victory.

Leading the way for the Skyhawks was the play of Dreiling who did damage both in the batter's box and in the pitching circle. At the plate, Dreiling went 3-for-3 with a single and two home runs, marking the first multi-home run performance of her Skyhawk career. Meanwhile, she pitched in relief and picked up her seventh win of the season after tossing four shutout innings while allowing just one base hit.

While Dreiling was the heralded star of the game for the Skyhawks, Avry Blume and Jordyn Hustey also produced multi-hit performances with two hits each. A well-rounded effort also led to the team's scoring output as Dreiling, Hustey, Brooklynn Linneman and Kierston Nixon each drove in two runs each.

Tennessee Tech (3-32, 0-10 OVC) dropped its 12^th consecutive game after giving up 13 hits to the home team. After a rough start by the starter Gracelyn Woollen (0-7), who was chased after giving up six runs in 0.2 innings of work, Callie Piper kept the Golden Eagles in the contest through the first couple frames until falling victim to four late runs.

Despite the lop-sided margin, the Golden Eagles did find nice offensive afternoon's in their own lineup with two individuals posting multi-hit games. Savannah Talley led the team by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs out of the seventh spot in the lineup while Abby Shoulders also went 2-for-3 out of the leadoff spot.

UT Martin jumped out to an early lead in the contest as the team opened up the bottom of the first with back-to-back solo home runs by Kaci Fuller and Dreiling – both clearing the centerfield wall. After the early fireworks to open the frame, the Skyhawks added four more runs later in the inning off a two-run single to left field by Nixon which was followed up by a double to the left center wall which also cleared the bases to give the home team a quick 6-0 advantage.

Tennessee Tech did not go away quietly after the shell-shock of the opening inning as Talley put the visitors on the board with a RBI single to centerfield to score Carmen Betts in the second inning. The Golden Eagles then trimmed the deficit down to two runs with a big third inning as three consecutive base knocks by Talley, Ella Bishop and Kayli Harris brought the margin down to a 6-4 score.

The margin stayed the same until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Skyhawks looked for some additional breathing room. Following a well-placed bunt single by Blume, Hustey drilled a run-scoring double over the centerfielder to add a run.

Then in the sixth inning, UT Martin effectively put the game out of reach with three runs to reach double figures in the scoring column. After hitting a solo home run in the first inning, Dreiling went deep again with a solo home run over the right field wall for her fifth homer of the season. Another run came home when pinch hitter Annie Gutierrez drove the first pitch she saw up the middle for an RBI-single. Looking for one last run, Hustey added her second RBI of the day with a single through the left side to give the Skyhawks its 10-4 advantage.

UT Martin and Tennessee Tech will wrap up the rest of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader set to get underway at Bettye Giles Field at noon. Both contests will be aired on ESPN3.