Skyhawks Take Game One From EIU in Extras, Fall In Game Two

Friday, April 3

Charleston, Ill.

4 p.m.

UT Martin

22-15, 10-3

Eastern Illinois

20-18, 12-1

UT Martin

Eastern Illinois

Skyhawks Take Game One From EIU in Extras, Fall In Game Two

4/3/2026 10:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score (PDF)Game 2 Box Score (PDF)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team split an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader with league leaders Eastern Illinois Friday evening at Williams Field in Charleston. The Skyhawks handed the Panthers their first conference loss of the season and snapped their 12-game OVC winning streak with a 5-4, nine-inning win in game one, but the Panthers rallied and topped UT Martin, 9-1, in five innings in game two.

Game 1 – UT Martin 5, Eastern Illinois 4 (9 Inn.)
Karena Recrosio led off game one with a single and then moved around the bases on a throwing error and a wild pitch by the Panthers. Two batters later, Kyla Harley scored Karena Recrosio with a single to make it a 1-0 game.

In the top of the third, UT Martin began the inning with bases loaded thanks to two more singles from Karena Recrosio and Harley and a walk by Carly Ward. Avary Makarewicz then brought Karena Recrosio and Ward home with a single up the middle. Later in the inning, Gia Recrosio made it 4-0 when she scored Harley with a single of her own.

In the bottom of the third, Maddux Marshall led off the frame with a triple and was then scored on another triple, this time by Alisha Frederick. In the fourth, Eastern Illinois tied the game at four on an RBI single from Marshall and a two-RBI single from Lizzie Stiverson. Neither team was able to score in the fifth, sixth or seventh, sending the Skyhawks to extra innings for the sixth time this season.

In the ninth, Karena Recrosio picked up her team-high third hit of the day with one out and was moved to third in the next at-bat on a single from Ward and another error by the Panthers. Karena Recrosio then broke the tie by scoring on an RBI-groundout from Harley to make it 5-4 Skyhawks. In the bottom of the eighth, the Skyhawks stranded an Eastern Illinois runner to hold on for the win and hand the Panthers their first OVC loss of the season.

Payton Harris picked up her second win of the season by tossing 5.1 scoreless innings and striking out one in the relief effort.

Game 2 – Eastern Illinois 9, UT Martin 1 (5 Inn.)
In game two, the Skyhawks were limited to just one hit by Eastern Illinois' Karlie McKenzie, a single by Gia Recrosio in the third. Gia Recrosio made her way to third after McKenzie walked the next two Skyhawks and was scored by her sister, Karena Recrosio, on an RBI-fielder's choice.

The Panthers scored three runs in the second and two in the third before scoring four in the fifth and ending the game on a two-RBI double from Abbi Hatton.

The two teams will return to Williams Field in Charleston Saturday to settle the series with game three at Noon.