OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball program went on the road and knocked off its first Southeastern Conference opponent since 2016 with a 4-1 victory over Ole Miss before splitting the midweek doubleheader.
The Skyhawks (20-15) led from start to finish in the first game of the brief series, scoring three runs in the opening inning and never looking back en route to the 4-1 victory. Then in the second half of the twinbill, the Skyhawks took a lead in the second inning before Ole Miss answered with three runs down the stretch to split the series with a 4-2 setback.
Senior Kiersten Nixon posted a big day in the batter’s box as she went 4-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs over the two games. Fellow senior Kaci Fuller also had a big day with three hits and a stole base while freshman Kyla Harley and senior Katie Dreiling recorded a pair of base knocks.
In the pitching circle, senior Brooklynn Linneman (7-3) earned her 26th career victory after keeping Ole Miss off-balance with just three hits and one run allowed over 5.1 innings of work. Freshman Ashtyn Green was also impressive in limited action, stranding two runners on base in the sixth inning before finishing her appearance with 1.2 perfect innings for the save.
Then in the second game, Katie Dreiling earned the start and allowed two runs in 3.2 innings of work before Nixon (3-4) was hit with the loss after giving up two runs in relief. Anna Hazlewood rounded out the pitching effort with a scoreless sixth inning.
Game 34: UT Martin 4, Ole Miss 1
UT Martin jumped out to an early lead in the series opener and never looked back after capitalizing on a pair of errors and scoring three runs. Fuller led off the game by reaching on a fielding error before later moving all the way to third on a passed ball and a stolen base. A pair of walks to Kennedy Brown and Alli Robinson would load the bases for the Skyhawks before a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dreiling and a single to right field by Nixon each led to runs for the visitors. The squad was not done however, as a fielder’s choice off the bat of Avry Blume saw Robinson score the team’s third run just seconds before Nixon was tagged out.
The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fifth when Ole Miss finally got on the board. A leadoff walk followed by a sacrifice bunt and double down the left field line paced two runners in scoring position. Needing to get in the scoring column, Jalia Lassiter got the Rebels on the board with a sacrifice fly on a diving play by Blume which saved another run.
The Skyhawks immediately responded in the next half inning to get their run back and keep the advantage at three scores. An opposite field single by Dreiling got the inning started before Harley entered as a pinch runner and motored around third on a double to left center by Nixon to give UT Martin a 4-1 lead – which it would not give back.
Game 35: Ole Miss 4, UT Martin 2
After being upset in the opener, Ole Miss responded quickly by jumping to a lead in the first inning of the second game. A double by Paige Smith kicked off the frame before she came home to score two batters later on a single by Aynslie Furbush to take a 1-0 advantage.
UT Martin charged back with two runs in the top of the second inning to take another lead for the day. A leadoff single by Dreiling started the scoring inning before she rounded third and came home with a double by Nixon to tie the game. Then later in the frame, a sacrifice fly by Blume plated the team’s second run to take a one-run lead.
The lead would be short-lived however as Ole Mis found the game’s equalizer in the bottom of the third when Lexie Brady homered to right center. Then a few innings later in the bottom of the fifth, the Rebels found their eventual game-winning hit as Angelina DeLeon laced a two-run single through the left side to give the home team a 4-2 advantage.
The Skyhawks found base runners in both the fifth and sixth innings, but could not complete the comeback attempt nor the sweep, ultimately settling for a series split against the SEC program.
UT Martin returns to Ohio Valley Conference action this weekend with a three-game series against Southern Indiana beginning on Saturday, Apr. 6 at Bettye Giles Field.
