UT Martin finished 2-2 in the Jimmy John’s Lions Classic at Southeastern Louisiana after Sunday’s game was rained out.
The Skyhawks won once and lost once on each of the first two days of the scheduled three-day, season-opening event.
UTM will next play in the second of four season-opening tournaments, traveling to Atlanta for the Kennesaw State Tournament.
Saturday’s Games
For the second consecutive day, sophomore Kenzi Tate led UTM.
Tate was the winning pitcher in the Skyhawks’ first game of the day, a 3-2 victory over Saint Louis. She pitched seven innings and gave up two hits and two runs, while striking out three batters.
Junior Stephanie Nidiffer had an RBI double to center field in the second inning, while Tate had an RBI double to right center field in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 2-all.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the bases loaded, Kristen Lackey scored the game-winning run when she scored from third base when Kayla Wade was hit by a pitch.
In the 7-2 loss to Delaware, Tate drove in both runs. She plated the Skyhawks’ first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and then hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Friday’s Games
UTM 7, La. Tech 2
Morgan Lewis, Lauren Smith and Kenzi Tate fueled the Skyhawks’ victory.
Lewis, who was hampered with a wrist injury a year ago, served as the catalyst with a two-run home run in the second inning.
Louisiana Tech tied the game with a run in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh inning, but in the top of the eighth inning the Skyhawks erupted for five runs and claimed the victory.
Sophomore Kenzi Tate smacked a pair of doubles and drove in two runs, while Smith blasted a three-run home run.
Tate also got the job done in the circle where she came in to relieve Skyhawk starter Casey Vincent. Tate pitched 2.1 innings and gave up four hits and a run while claiming a strike out.
Vincent pitched 5.2 innings and allowed five hits, one run and four walks. The sophomore left-hander struck out five batters.
SE La. 2, UTM 0
The Skyhawks suffered a setback in their second game of the tournament, the host Lions scoring two runs in the bottom of the third inning for the win.
Lewis was tagged with the pitching loss. She worked five innings and gave up the two runs and five walks.
Freshman Autumn Glenn pitched the first inning. She gave up one hit and struck out one batter. The Covington native threw 11 pitches, eight were strikes.
Tate led the Skyhawks at the plate with three singles. Smith and Sam McClure also had base hits in the game. Published in The WCP 2.12.13