The UTM softball team capped off its weekend appearance at the Tennessee Invitational on Saturday morning with a 9-6 victory over Northern Kentucky.
The Skyhawks (6-2) tallied eight hits on the day behind multi-hit mornings from the pair of Paige Clark and Chelsey Gore. Sophomore Kaitlyn Kelley also continued her hot play by belting her fourth home run of the season and third in the last three games. Fellow sophomore Kenna Garst also tallied two RBIs in the contest to help lead the team.
Erin Gallagher earned the start but suffered a bumpy appearance, lasting just 3.2 innings while allowing six earned runs. Senior Hannah Ridolfi (2-0, 1.95 ERA) appeared in relief and was lights out, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed for the win.
UTM jumped out an early lead in the bottom of the first inning as Kelley continued her hot streak by cranking a home run in her third straight game. After the first two batters were retired, Kallie Pickens worked a walk before Kelley turned on a 3-1 pitch and launched it over the left field wall to give the Skyhawks a 2-0 advantage.
The Skyhawks would add another run in the bottom of the third inning after a leadoff double by Clark was followed by a single by Shyanne Sheffield. Two batters later Clark would score from second on an error to give UTM a three-run lead.
Northern Kentucky answered in the top of the third inning with four runs of its own to cut the margin and take its first lead. The Norse big hits came from Jenna O’Hair who drove in the first run with a single through the right side before Ava Lawson tripled to right-center to score two more. An RBI groundout by Hailey Whitmer gave NKU a 4-3 advantage to close out the frame.
The lead changed hands once again in the bottom of the third as Garst scored Aalia Bivens and Anna Blanton with a two-run single to put the Skyhawks on top 5-4.
Much like the last lead, it would be short-lived as Northern Kentucky charged right back in the top of the fourth with two runs off back-to-back singles by Josie Frazier and O’Hair made it a 6-5 contest.
The score would remain the same until the bottom of the sixth inning when UTM took the game’s final lead with four runs. The Skyhawks loaded the bases with no outs, setting up Bivens for an RBI opportunity which she cashed in with a sacrifice fly to tie the game up at six runs apiece. UTM would add two more runs on RBIs by Clark and Sheffield to make it a 9-6 contest – the game’s final score.
UTM will now shift its focus to Ohio Valley Conference play with the league opener being played at Bettye Giles Field against Murray State. The three-game series begins on Friday, March 5.
