CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team dropped both games of its Ohio Valley Conference opening series against Southeast Missouri Saturday at the Southeast Softball Complex in Cape Girardeau. The Skyhawks were clipped, 1-0 in 10 innings, in game one, before falling 6-1 in game two.
In game one, Ashtyn Green threw nine scoreless innings for UT Martin with four strikeouts in the circle. The game-winning run for the Redhawks came in the second at-bat of the 10th inning when Brooklyn Saysoff singled to right field to drive in Sydney Dennis, who began the inning with a double, to break the tie and win the game, 1-0.
UT Martin’s defense allowed just one run and stranded 10 of Southeast Missouri’s 15 base runners in the contest. Alli Robinson, Joleanna Fox, and Morea Hodge each had hits in the game for the Skyhawks, while Kyrsten Brown drew one walk and Robinson drew two. Pinch hitter Josie Sanders also reached base safely in game one after being hit by a pitch in the seventh.
In game two, Kyla Harley began the game with a double and was brought home two batters later on a single from Robinson to give UT Martin the early 1-0 lead. However, that would be the Skyhawks’ final run of the game, as the Redhawks scored six unanswered to sweep the doubleheader.
Kennedy Brown had two hits in the game, while Avary Makarewicz, Fox, and Hodge each had one. Rylee Tittle, Elly Eckrich, and Natalie Kreuziger each threw 2.0 innings in the second game, with Tittle taking the loss.
The Skyhawks return to Cape Girardeau Sunday for the final game of the three-game series against the Redhawks, beginning at 1 p.m.
