MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team used a three-run inning in the fourth to take a lead and never looked back to knocked off former Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State by a final score of 8-3.
The Skyhawks improved to 12-8 on the season while pushing their current winning streak out to four games after scoring eight runs over the final three offensive innings of the game. A two-run home run by Anna Hazlewood provided a big spark for the home team before adding five more runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Along with her two-run jack, Hazlewood joined classmate Kiersten Nixon with two-hit days to help their pitching afternoons. Hazlewood started the contest and allowed one runs in three innings before being relieved by Katie Dreiling who picked up her fourth win of the season after allowing one run in two innings of work. Capping off the pitching performance was Nixon who earned her first save after tossing two innings.
Murray State (9-12) jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning after Hobby tallied a single and Jackson doubled in the run to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The score remained the same until the fourth when Hicks singled to left field and pushed the team’s lead out to two runs.
The Skyhawks finally got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth frame when Nixon singled through the left side to cut the deficit in half. After the big base knock, Hazlewood followed that up by launching a two-run blast to right center and give the home squad its first lead of the game.
The scoring onslaught continued for the home team in the fifth inning when a single by Kennedy Brown led off the inning before she came home to score on a single and an error off the bat of Kaci Fuller. The speedster’s time was short on the bases as Fuller came home to score on the following at-bat as a wild pitch got away from the catcher on a walk to Alli Robinson.
The Racers put one more run on the board with a wild pitch in the sixth inning but saw their scoring come to a close.
Already holding a two-run advantage, the Skyhawks added to their lead in the sixth inning to put the game on ice. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Brown scored a run as Carly Ward avoided the tag at home plate before Avry Blume scored on a sacrifice fly from Fuller. The game’s final run came home to score on another wild pitch to bring the final tally to 8-3.
UT Martin will return to action this weekend while opening OVC play against Western Illinois. Expected rain in the forecast has forced the alteration of the weekend series by a day as the two squads will now play a doubleheader on Sunday, March 10 before concluding the series on Monday, March 11.
