The Skyhawk softball squad hosted the Memphis Tigers on April 6, dropping the non-conference matchup 2-6.
The Skyhawks’ most productive performer was senior outfielder Aalia Bivens, who tied the team lead in hits with two and a run. Fellow outfielder, sophomore Shyanne Sheffield, was responsible for the other UTM run.
Memphis’s bats torched UTM’s defense, as two Tigers recorded three hits and three others recorded two hits en route to a six-run outing. Outfielder Delaney Smith powered Memphis’s offense with three hits, two RBIs and no strikeouts in four at-bats.
Both squads were able to get on the scoreboard early. Memphis infielder Alyssa Dean struck first with a double to right-center field to send outfielder Gracie Morton home. In the bottom of the first, a dropped fly ball by Memphis infielder Sara Ann Davidson allowed Sheffield to advance to second, by proxy sending Bivens across home plate to even the score 1-1.
Innings two through four saw no offense from either squad, but Memphis would break the stalemate with an explosive fifth inning. Senior pitcher Seeley Layne allowed runners on second and third on back-to-back hits to open the fifth, prompting the Skyhawks to send out fellow senior Hannah Ridolfi to take over. However, a single by Memphis infielder Kendall Lee broke the tie, and three more runs were soon to follow to put UTM in a 6-1 hole.
The Skyhawks managed to hold the Tigers off the scoreboard after that nightmare inning, but junior outfielder Paige Clark’s RBI-single in the sixth inning did little to spark a comeback.
Layne (1-2) struggled on the night, allowing nine hits and three earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Ridolfi also struggled in relief of Layne, allowing five hits and three earned runs in 0.2 innings.
The Skyhawks will leave the confines of Bettye Giles Field to embark on a road trip to Charleston, Illinois to take on the the Eastern Illinois Panthers in a three-game stint on Apr. 11 and 12.
