MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State softball had to wait two days and travel 390-plus miles to get in some softball this weekend but unfortunately the opportunity to keep pace with an Ohio Valley Conference rival near the Eagles in the standings fell by the wayside as UT Martin defeated the Blue and Gold 11-2 in five innings and 9-5 at the Bettye Giles Softball Field in Martin, Tenn. on Monday.
Morehead State (4-33/2-12) was actually the home team in the twin bill and consequently batted in the bottom of the inning. According to available information, it was the first time MSU had its OVC series moved from Morehead to the site of its opponent.
The Eagles continued to put together some impressive offense in game two as sophomore designated player
Kendra Lewis tied a school record with two home runs. She is now one of 16 to accomplish the feat, which was last reached in 2019 by Kalle Coleman. The team has hit five home runs in its last four games.
"Kendra's bat has really been a big positive for us. It was good to see her hit two home runs," MSU coach
Megan Griffith said. "We did a much better job in the second game being patient at the plate and waiting for our pitch. We challenged their pitchers and really battled all the way to the end. We just can't put ourselves in a hole early. It's a problem that has hurt us all year."
The Eagles extended their run of games with at least five hits to 25 times, four or more six additional times and at least three in all but four contests. However, MSU fell to 1-15 in true road games this season and was the ninth straight road defeat and seventh consecutive overall defeat. The also first contest marked the fifth run-rule defeat in the last six games.
The Eagles fell into a 3-0 hole in the first inning of game two, but they answered with a run in their half of the frame when Lewis hit her first shot over the fence in left-center field.
UT Martin (14-29/6-8) added a run on two hits in the second to extend its lead to 4-1. It could have been more since the Skyhawks left the bases loaded when the inning ended.
Morehead State put together its best offensive inning in the second. Junior first baseman
Jordan Donato and sophomore left fielder
Maddy Christopher led off the inning with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base and then senior catcher
Ilencia Lightbody reached on a fielder's choice. Junior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell flied out to center field, which plated Donato. Sophomore shortstop
Sela Pickford followed with a double to score Christopher to draw the score to 4-3.
Lewis doubled to left field to lead off the third, but it was as far as the Eagles could get.
The Skyhawks loaded the bases on three walks but the Eagles got out of the threat without allowing a run.
UTM scored twice in the fifth courtesy of a hit an error.
Morehead State threatened again in the fifth. Pickford led off with a single, freshman second baseman
Victoria Spencer reached on a fielder's choice and senior center fielder
Darlene Montoya singled up the middle. But the inning ended with two runners on base.
The Skyhawks opened up the game with three runs on three hits in the sixth.
Donato doubled to begin the sixth, but again the Eagles were unable to score. However, after putting two runners on base in the seventh, junior
Rylie Burney struck out the final two batters.
Lewis hits her second homer with one out in the seventh (again to left-center field), but it was all of the scoring the Blue and Gold could muster in the final inning.
Morehead State finished with nine hits. Lewis led the way with a 3-for-4, two-run, two-RBI performance. Donato added two hits and scored twice, while Pickford also contributed a pair of hits and an RBI. Montoya and Christopher also had hits. Lightbody walked twice, Campbell had two RBI and Christopher scored.
Four Skyhawks had two hits, led by Kennedy Brown, who finished 2-for-5, with three RBI and scored twice. They finished with 11 hits.
The Eagles used what is believed to be a school record five pitchers. Junior
Emma Solis started and threw for two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs on three hits. She also struck out one and did not walk a batter. Solis suffered the loss and fell to 2-13 on the year.
Junior
Alivia Parks followed and pitched to two batters with a walk and a hit batsman. Redshirt freshman Delane Overstreet threw for 2.1 innings, gave up four hits and four walks, while allowing one run. She also had a strikeout. Campbell pitched for two innings, surrendering two unearned runs on one hit, with two walks and no strikeouts. Burney finished the game. She pitched two innings and allowed three runs on three hits, with three hits and two strikeouts.
Ashtyn Green pitched 1.2 innings, allowed three runs on four hits without a walk or strikeout. Natalie Kreuziger (4-4) closed out the contest by throwing the final 5.1 innings. She allowed two runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.
Like it did in the second game, UT Martin jumped out to an early lead, scoring six times in the second and three times in the third.
MSU picked up its first hit in the second when Donato singled to the pitcher. The Eagles put two more runners on base in the third, with Pickford and Montoya both hitting singles.
The Skyhawks added a run in the fourth.
Freshman third baseman
Nyla Doiron walked to lead off the fourth. Sophomore
Azea Lightbody can in to pinch run and stole second base. Christopher singled to left field and was tagged out between first and second, but it was enough to allow Lightbody to score.
Both teams scored a run in the fifth. Campbell was hit by a pitch to lead off the Eagles' half. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a fly out to right field. Spencer added an infield single that allowed Campbell to come home.
Pickford, Spencer, Montoya, Donato and Christopher all finished with hits. Spencer drove in a run and Campbell and
Azea Lightbody both scored.
UT Martin tallied 12 hits. Four players had two hits. Carly Ward was 2-for-2 and scored three times. Kyla Harley went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Alli Robinson added three RBI.
Burney (2-16) went the distance for her seventh complete game. She yielded 11 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits and four walks. She also struck out three.
Kreuziger started the first game, went three innings and picked up the win. She surrendered one run on three hits, with two hits and three strikeouts. Payton Harris and Joleanna Fox each pitched an inning. Harris came in first and allowed one run on one hit with a strikeout and no walks. Fox also surrendered a hit, no runs, strikeouts or walks.
Saturday's contest between the two was canceled. It was only MSU's second game lost to weather this year.
Morehead State will stay on the road and face Southeast Missouri on Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 12-13. There will be a doubleheader on the first day, with game one starting at 1 p.m. ET. Sunday's contest will also start at 1 p.m. ET. The Eagles will be back home for their final six games, beginning with a doubleheader against Lindenwood on Friday, Apr. 18.
