Courtesy of UT Martin Athletics
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team posted a dominating performance at the Skyhawk Fall Classic hosted at Bettye Giles Field and Martin Parks and Recreation Complex over the weekend, picking up five victories over the tournament field.
The Skyhawks (7-0) remained unbeaten after knocking off Chattanooga State, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Memphis, Jackson State Community College and Kaskaskia College after picking up a two-game sweep of Bethel the week before. The bats came alive in the Fall Classic, tallying 43 hits in five games while scoring 31 runs for an average of 6.2 runs per game, including six home runs. The Skyhawks were equally impressive on the defensive side of the ball, only tallying two errors while holding their opponents to just 2.8 runs per game.
“Overall, we had a great weekend,” said UT Martin softball coach Donley Canary. “We got to learn a lot about our team as we saw the young players and how they would mesh with the veterans. The combination provided an enjoyable environment and a great attitude as a squad. We played very well as we put every piece together. We hit well, pitched well and relied on our fundamentals.”
UT Martin 7, Chattanooga State 6
The Skyhawks would split the pitching duties in game one of the tournament, seeing sophomore Elizabeth Wiegand get the first start. Wiegand tossed four innings, allowing five hits while issuing two walks and zero strikeouts. Brooke Kennedy appeared in relief, tossing two shutout innings. Kennedy allowed just one hit while striking out three and issuing three walks.
Offensively, the Skyhawks had three players go 2-for-3 in the game including Carly Gonzales, Kenzi Tate and Jodie Duncan. Tate tallied two doubles while Duncan and Renate Meckl each tallied one home run in the contest.
UT Martin 4, Northwest Mississippi Community College 2
Tate earned the start in game two on Friday night, tossing four innings. Tate capped off the appearance with four strikeouts while allowing two hits and issuing one walk. Casey Vincent appeared in relief, tossing two scoreless innings while striking out two and issuing one walk.
The Skyhawks tallied eight hits in the game led by Lindsey Feigl who notched two singles in a pair of plate appearances. They received two big hits from Vincent and Lauren Smith who notched home runs to lift the Skyhawks to the 4-2 victory late in the contest.
UT Martin 3, Memphis 2
The Skyhawks used tough pitching and timely hitting to knock off American Athletic Conference foe Memphis on Saturday morning. Freshman Hanna Jones earned the start, tossing 3.2 innings while allowing two run. Jones issued six hits while registering one strikeout and a walk. Kennedy appeared in relief of Jones, tossing 2.1 innings. Kennedy allowed just one hit while striking out two and issuing one walk.
Notching seven singles on the day, the Skyhawks pushed across three runs in the contest. Vincent went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while Gonzales, Tate, Meckl, Duncan and Samantha McClure each tallied one hit in the contest. The Skyhawks also tallied three stolen bases in four opportunities.
UT Martin 6, Jackson State Community College 2
Both teams tallied a pair of first inning runs as Vincent earned the start in the circle. Vincent allowed two runs in four innings of work. She struck out three while allowing five hits and two walks. Jones appeared in relief, tossing two shutout innings.
Freshman Alicia Hansen tallied the squad’s lone home run in the sixth inning while Savannah Dodson, Tate and Kennedy each went 2-for-3 in the game. Vincent and Hansen each finished with one hit.
UT Martin 11, Kaskaskia College 2
The Skyhawks turned to Tate to start the final contest of the Skyhawk Fall Classic. Tate turned in a solid performance with the aid of an offensive outburst by the Skyhawk bats. She would strike out four and allow just one hit in two innings of work. Kennedy would finish off Kaskaskia College with seven strikeouts in three innings of work, allowing just two hits and two runs.
An eight run second inning would give the Skyhawks all the offense they would need in the contest. The squad would tally seven singles, two doubles and one home run to power the offense. Along with Kennedy’s power pitching in the circle, she would go 3-for-3 in the nightcap, tallying two doubles and a single. Meckl and Dodson would each tally two hits in the contest as well, including a solo home run by Meckl in the third inning.
The Skyhawks will wrap up the fall portion of their schedule on Friday, Oct. 3 when they play host to Dyersburg State Community College in a 10-inning showdown schedule for 4 p.m.
