Game 1 Box Score (HTML | PDF)
Game 2 Box Score (HTML | PDF)
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Ohio Valley Conference regular season softball champion UT Martin improved upon its league best record Saturday by taking both games of a doubleheader against the host Morehead State Eagles. MSU made it interesting with a late rally before falling 5-4 in the opener, and UTM got a three-hit pitching effort to win the second contest 3-1.
The Skyhawks, who clinched the OVC title last weekend, improved to 44-9 and 21-3 in the league. MSU fell to 27-21 and 14-8 in the OVC. The Eagles will need to win Sunday’s series finale and have Tennessee State defeat Jacksonville State in order to hold on to the number two seed and a first round bye in the tournament. With Murray State’s game two win over Eastern Illinois today, the Eagles can finish no worse than third place.
With UTM holding a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh in the opener, the Eagles nearly pulled off the comeback.
Kelsea Bullock opened the frame by getting hit with a Paij Lintz pitch.
Sam Sparks then hit a spinning infield ball that she was able to beat out to first. After an out,
Kayla Brill singled through the left side to load the bases for
Amber Riddle. Riddle coaxed a walk to make it 5-2.
Rebecca Butler then increased the late inning drama as she drilled a two-out, two run double to left center that just got under the glove of the UTM outfielder. With the tying run at third and the winning run at second, Lintz was able to get a first-pitch fly out by
Bianca Cardenas to thwart the Eagles’ rally.
Laura Roberts staked UTM to an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer to center in the first inning. Chelsea Cary added an RBI single to push the lead to 3-0 in the second. MSU scored its first run via a
Kayla Ashbrook RBI single up the middle in the third.
The Skyhawks got a solo homer from Jordan Garrett and another RBI single from Cary to increase their lead to 5-1 in the top of the seventh.
MSU starter
Alex Gjevre was tagged with the loss to fall to 14-10. She struck out seven.
Ashley Boyd allowed both runs to score in the seventh. Lintz improved her OVC-best mark to 23-3 with a seven-strikeout complete game.
In the second game, the Skyhawks also scored first as Megan Williams singled up the middle off MSU’s Sarah Funston in the third inning. The Eagles got the tying run across in the fourth but could have very well had a much bigger inning. MSU loaded the bases with no outs. Kate Vanderham struck out the next batter, and Bethany Ellis’ infield grounder was thrown home to force out another potential run. Cardenas drew a bases-loaded walk to push across Ashbrook.
UTM got a pair of runs in the fifth. Cary’s single to right field was then misplayed, allowing Garrett to score the go-ahead run. Jenny Bain doubled off the wall in center field for the third run, chasing Funston from the circle. Gjevre came in and finished the final two innings.
Vanderham only gave up three hits and had six strikeouts as she improved to 15-3. Funston fell to 12-10.
Williams led UTM at the plate, going 4-for-7, while Cary was 3-for-5.
MSU will honor its seven-member senior class before Sunday’s 1 p.m. regular season finale. The tournament is set for May 13-15 in Martin, Tenn.
