Following a rough 0-13 loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday, April 16, the Skyhawks split a doubleheader with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) on Saturday, April 20, to improve their OVC record to .500.
The Skyhawks, facing the Cougars in Edwardsville, lost the first game of the day 1-4.
SIUE struck first thanks to an error that allowed utility player Janie Smith to score an unearned run in the bottom of the first. The Cougars took advantage of another fielding error in the second inning, allowing outfielder Reagan Curtis and infielder Alana Cobb-Adams to score unearned runs and put SIUE up 3-0.
Curtis went on to record an RBI off a fourth-inning single that gave Cobb-Adams enough time to snatch her second run of the game.
The Skyhawks managed to get on the scoreboard following a sixth-inning single by sophomore outfielder Paige Clark and resulting run by freshman infielder Chelsey Gore.
UTM nearly completed a comeback, as the Skyhawks had enough runners on plates to tie the game. However, the runs didn’t materialize and the Skyhawks extended their losing streak to six games.
The hits didn’t come easy for UTM’s batters, as the Skyhawks only recorded four in game one.
Junior pitcher Hannah Ridolfi was credited with the loss, dropping to 7-8 on the season. Ridolfi had three strikeouts against six hits.
Game two swung UTM’s favor, providing the Skyhawks with an 8-6 victory to even the doubleheader.
The Skyhawks struck first this time around.
Senior infielder Shelby Woodard knocked a double out to left center, giving Gore a chance to run it home and give UTM the early lead. Woodard’s time to run home came shortly after, thanks to a single by senior shortstop Allie Fulcher.
With an early lead in hand, the Skyhawks held onto the advantage until the fifth inning, when SIUE nearly took the lead from UTM.
A fielding error allowed SIUE players Cobb-Adams and utility player Kloe Hilbrenner to score, cutting UTM’s lead to 5-3.
The Cougars managed two more runs in the inning to tie the game 5-5, but a seventh-inning home run by Fulcher would seal the deal for the Skyhawks. Fulcher’s homer sent Clark and senior infielder Gracyn McBride to home plate, resulting in 3 RBI’s for Fulcher.
No SIUE come back followed suit, and the Skyhawks would walk away with an even OVC record.
Fulcher would leave game two with five RBI’s. Freshman pitcher Lexi Ray, who was credited with the win, improved her season record to 7-6.
Following the doubleheader, UTM now sits in 7th place behind Belmont (8-8 OVC, 26-18 overall) and ahead of Tennessee Tech (8-8 OVC, 18-21 overall).
Softball will resume play against in-state foe Memphis at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, in Martin.
