CHARLESTON, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team went on the road to challenge defending Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship winner Eastern Illinois but dropped both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader in a tough nine-inning 2-1 affair followed by a 3-0 setback in the nightcap.
The Skyhawks (14-11, 2-3 OVC) lost their first back-to-back games since the second tournament of the season after winning eight of their last 10 games heading into the road series. While the team’s pitching staff kept the squad in both games, the offense struggled against two of the league’s best starting pitchers in McKenzie Oslanzi (10-1) and reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year Olivia Price.
UT Martin scratched out 12 hits in the two games but were held to just one run – coming in the first game of a seventh inning sacrifice fly from Annie Gutierrez to send the game to extra innings. Senior Maddi Long paced the team with a three-hit game in the series opener while Alli Robinson and Katie Dreiling also recorded a pair of base knocks in the doubleheader.
Four pitchers saw action for the Skyhawks with Dreiling starting Game 1 and allowing just one run in five innings of work. Kiersten Nixon was strong in relief, pitching the Skyhawks into extra innings before giving up the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap off a 3.1 inning performance. Anna Hazlewood was hit with the loss in Game 2 as she allowed three runs in 3.1 innings before Brooklynn Linneman shut the door with 2.2 shutout frames to keep the Panthers at bay down the stretch.
Game 24: Eastern Illinois 2, UT Martin 1 (Nine innings)
In the first game of the series, both teams relied on their starting pitching which held their opponents scoreless until the fourth inning. Eastern Illinois got on the board first as back-to-back singles to lead off the inning later led to an RBI opportunity for Karson Davey who cashed it in with a single up the middle to take a 1-0 advantage.
The game remained at a one-score margin until the seventh inning when the Skyhawks scratched out the game-tying run and ultimately forced the game into extra innings. Nixon helped her cause in the pitching circle by leading off the inning with a double to left center before pinch runner Carly Ward later advanced to third on a single up the middle by Long to put runners on the corners. Needing to just put the ball in play, Gutierrez came through by lofting a sacrifice fly to left field which allowed Ward to motor home and score the game-tying run.
Both teams stranded a pair of runners on the bags in the eight inning before Eastern Illinois found a way to pull out the victory in the bottom of the ninth as a walk and single keyed the scoring opportunity. After the pair were moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Kendall Grover came through to win the game with a walk-off double off the left centerfield wall to post a 2-1 victory.
Game 25: Eastern Illinois 3, UT Martin 0
The second game of the day saw the first two runs cross the plate following a two-run home run by Justman in the bottom of the third inning to take the early advantage. Then in the following inning, the Panthers added to that advantage as Rachel Kaufman tallied an RBI-single to give EIU a 3-0 advantage.
Unfortunately, the Skyhawks could not muster the necessary offense in the final innings as they were shutout for the first time this season.
The two teams will square off for the series finale on Sunday, March 17. The first pitch has been slightly altered, pushing it back from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. due to cool weather expected in the Charleston area. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
