By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech was one out away from claiming its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season, but UT Martin tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, two-run single from Maddi Long, then took the victory in extra innings as Kaci Fuller drove in Kennedy Brown for the walk-off run on a ground out to give the Skyhawks the series sweep on Saturday, winning the finale 5-4 in eight innings.
UT Martin also won the first game 6-2. The Golden Eagles fall to 3-34, 0-12 in the OVC, while UT Martin improved to 15-17, 8-6 in the league.
The late rally spoiled a win bid for Gracelyn Woollen, who worked seven-and-a-third innings as she allowed five runs – two earned – on five hits and six walks. Callie Piper came in for the final third of a frame, allowing one walk and yielding the game-winning run, but Brown was Woollen's credited run as she was a pinch-runner for Annie Gutierrez, who reached on a four-pitch walk before Woollen's day ended.
Tech had six hits in the contest, all by different players.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the top of the third as Makayli Harris homered to right center, her third of the season. Tech doubled its advantage in the top of the fifth as Meaghan Houk also went yard, driving one out over the left field wall.
A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame brought UTM back within one, but Tech scored two in the top of the sixth to help its cause as Haeli Bryson had an RBI single up the middle to plate Abby Shoulders, then Nicolle Nysted's single to right field brought Bryson home.
In the bottom of the seventh, Brown went in as a pinch-runner following Kiersten Nixon's leadoff hit and advanced to second on a Fuller ground out, but a wild pitch allowed Brown to take third and home. A walk, an error and a passed ball put runners on second and third, allowing Long to tie the game with a single through the right gap on the infield. Woollen got out of the inning, fielding a ground ball to close out regulation.
Tech was held to eight pitches in the top of the eighth as Ella Bishop and Bryson both popped up to second base, then Carmen Betts grounded out to short.
After a grounder to third to start the bottom of the eighth, Gutierrez walked on four straight, then Piper came in, throwing two straight wild pitches to advance Brown to third. Kyrsten Brown drew a four-pitch walk, then stole second. Fuller ended the game with a grounder to first, allowing the lead runner to score.
The Skyhawks threw four pitchers in the contest with Emily Brown picking up her first victory of the season as she pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, yielding just one walk as she struck out two.
In the first game, Betts drove in both of Tech's runs in the contest with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.
Katie Dreiling held Tech to three hits – Betts' round-tripper in the first, Savannah Talley's double in the fourth and Bishop's single in the fifth. Dreiling picked up her eighth victory of the season as she yielded three walks and struck out two.
Kaylan Cole took the loss, allowing five runs on two hits across the first inning and a third, walking four. Piper threw the final 4 2/3 innings, yielding one run on six hits with two strikeouts.
UT Martin scored five runs in the bottom of the second, with a solo run in the bottom of the fourth. Dreiling and Kaitlyn Kelley both went 2-for-4 at the plate, Dreiling finishing with a multi-RBI day with two.
Photo | UTM Athletics
