UT Martin Softball Wins Decisive Game 3 With Southeast Missouri

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MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team played spoiler this weekend, winning the season series against Ohio Valley Conference rival Southeast Missouri with a decisive 6-3 victory in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon.

The Skyhawks conclude the regular season with a 30-21 overall record while finishing 15-12 in the OVC. The victory also marked the program’s 30th win of the season as the 2024 squad – under acting head coach Chelsea Farmer – posted just the team’s second 30-win season in the last eight campaigns.

UT Martin now enters next week’s tournament field as the No. 5 seed. The 2024 OVC Softball Championship will be held May 8-11 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois. It marks the first time the event has been held at the venue and will be the 30th all-time OVC Softball Championship.

The home team played spoiler this weekend as Southeast Missouri entered the series riding a nine-game conference winning streak and just one game out of first place in the program’s attempt at back-to-back regular season championships. After the Redhawks took the series opener, the Skyhawks rallied in the final two games to steal the series and ultimately, the team’s chance at another league title.

Playing in their final home game at Bettye Giles Field, the team’s crop of seniors racked up nine of the team’s 10 hits. Anna Blanton led the team with a 3-for-3 afternoon at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs. Anna Hazlewood also played a key role with a 2-for-3 day at the plate while tossing three scoreless innings of relief to pick up her first save of the season.

Senior Kiersten Nixon helped her own cause as she pulled double-duty in the batter’s box and in the circle. Along with earning the victory with 4.0 innings of work, she also went 2-for-3 at the dish to rank as the team’s third individual to post a multi-hit effort in the victory.

Much like yesterday, SEMO was the first team to jump out after scoring two runs in the opening frame. Back-to-back singles by Kat Sackett and Aubrie Shore plated runs to give the Redhawks an early advantage.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the third when the Skyhawks started their comeback attempt. A leadoff double by Hazlewood kicked off the rally before pinch runner Kyla Harley came home to score one pitch later on a single up the middle by Blanton. With the deficit cut in half, Blanton stayed in motion to by advancing to third on a groundout before scampering home on a wild pitch to knot the score at two runs each.

With a new game at hand, the Skyhawks continued their surge by scoring two more runs in the fourth inning. Two singles by Nixon and Alli Robinson kick-started the inning before back-to-back RBI-singles from Hazlewood and Blanton gave the home squad a 4-2 advantage.

SEMO threatened in the top of the fifth inning with three hits but were limited to just one run while stranding the bases load. A single down the left field line by Marissa Peek cut the Skyhawks lead down to one run before UT Martin’s defense flexed its muscles with a putout at the plate and a diving catch by Kaci Fuller to keep the one-run advantage intact.

The Skyhawks found some much-needed insurance in the sixth inning to push their lead out from one run to three. Fuller padded the team’s lead with a sacrifice fly to deep center field before a pinch-hit single by Annie Gutierrez brought the team’s sixth and final run home to score.

UT Martin will have a short turnaround before traveling north to the OVC Softball Championship. The Skyhawks will face off against No. 8 seed SIUE in a win-or-go-home matchup on Wednesday, May 8 at 12:30 p.m.

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