MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team picked up a pair of one-run wins Thursday during day one of the 2025 Skyhawk Classic at Bettye Giles Field in Martin, Tenn. The Skyhawks opened the day with a 4-3 win over Western Michigan, followed by a 2-1 win over Purdue Fort Wayne in the second game of the day.
“Today was a great day for our team,” said head coach Chelsea Farmer following the games. “Two wins in two one-run ball games is huge and I was very proud of the competitive mentality our entire team held throughout our whole day.”
In the day’s opener, all the action for both teams happened in the second inning. Kyrsten Brown made her first hit on the season count when she put the Skyhawks on the board with a three-run home run to left field. In the very next at bat, Alli Robinson dropped a bomb of her own to left field to make it, 4-0.
Western Michigan rallied in the bottom half of the inning and scored three runs, to make it a one score game. For the next five innings, UT Martin used stellar pitching and clamp-down defense to keep the Broncos at bay and hold one for the 4-3 win.
Elly Eckrich picked up her first win of the season in the circle by going 4.0 innings and allowing no runs on one hit with four strikeouts and a walk. Rylee Tittle closed out the game for UT Martin allowing no runs on no hits with four strikeouts and only one walk over the final two frames.
In game two, Kyrsten Brown tallied her second home run in as many games in the fifth inning with a solo strike that evened the game at one after Purdue Fort Wayne homered in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Avary Makarewicz led off the frame with a walk and advanced in the next at bat on a sacrifice bunt from Kyrsten Brown. In the following at bat, Alli Robinson ended the game with walk-off double the scored Makarewicz from second.
Tittle earned the win in the game after she allowed no runs on no hits with two strikeouts in the final inning of the game.
The Skyhawks will close out the 2025 Skyhawk Classic Friday against DePaul at 10:30 a.m. and former OVC rival Murray State at 1 p.m.
