MARTIN, Tenn. – A clutch two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning by Kaci Fuller lifted the University of Tennessee at Martin softball team to a 4-3 comeback victory against Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE before falling in the second half of the twinbill by a 6-2 margin.
Fuller had a big day for the Skyhawks as she not only cranked her third home run of the season to lift the squad to a walk-off victory, but also went 3-for-4 in Game 2 to enjoy a four-hit afternoon. Along with her work in the batter’s box, she also scored three runs for the home squad.
Also enjoying a nice day at the plate was senior Katie Dreiling who went 3-for-6 in the box with a double and a RBI while Alli Robinson also tallied a pair of base knocks in the split.
Four different pitchers saw action in the two games with Brooklynn Linneman starting Game 1. Linneman earned the no-decision after tossing 6.2 innings but leaving with a deficit after allowing a pair of earned runs. Kiersten Nixon got the final out of the seventh inning and later garnered the win following Fuller’s late-game heroics. Then in Game 2, Dreiling (5-4) lasted 2.1 innings before making way for Nixon and Jordyn Hustey to finish out the contest.
Game 27: UT Martin 4, SIUE 3
SIUE jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first inning after a walk followed by a pair of singles by Anna Henderson and Harley Limberger scored the game’s first run.
UT Martin responded in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. A first-pitch double by Dreiling led off the inning before switching places with Anna Hazlewood after a double of her own off the right-center wall.
The Skyhawks took their first lead of the contest in the fifth inning when Annie Gutierrez reached base out of the leadoff spot via a fielding error. Relieved for pinch runner Kyla Harley, the young speedster then made her presence known by swiping second base before advancing to third on a bunt single by Kyrsten Brown. Later in the inning, Anna Blanton brought the go-ahead run on a RBI-groundout to take a 2-1 advantage.
SIUE did got go away quietly however as it tied the game with a single up the middle by Grace Lueke in the sixth inning before a solo home run by Paige Rocha in the top of the seventh put the Cougars up by a run.
Down to their final three outs of the game, the Skyhawks fought back in the bottom of the seventh as Blanton stroked a single down the left field line before Fuller came through with the opposite field home run to left field to give the Skyhawks a walk-off winner.
Game 28: SIUE 6, UT Martin 2
The second game of the day saw UT Martin jump out to an early lead as Dreiling’s opposite field single in the first inning brought Fuller home to score from second.
Then in the following inning, the Cougars took their first lead and ultimately never looked back. A pair of RBI-singles by Lauren Yslava and Rocha gave the Cougars a 2-1 advantage before adding two more runs in the top of the third off a two-run blast by Lueke.
The Skyhawks cut into the margin in the bottom half of the third with another RBI by Hazlewood, but the offense ultimately couldn’t cash in a big scoring opportunity as three players were stranded on base.
The margin remained at two scores until the sixth inning when SIUE put the game on ice with a pair of RBI performances by Jenna Herron and Henderson to take the final 6-2 advantage.
Both teams will go for the series win on Sunday, March 24 when action resumes at Bettye Giles Field at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
