Nashville --- The Tennessee State University softball team dropped the opening game, 6-4, against Tennessee-Martin before suffering a, 12-4, loss in game two.

Tennessee State moved to 7-21 (1-4 OVC) while Tennessee-Martin improved to 16-9 (5-0 OVC).

Game One

Caitlin Eaton (4-8) was charged with the loss for the Tigers. She gave up four walks and threw two strikeouts in the contest. For the Skyhawks, Kate Vanderham (2-3) picked up the win while Amanda Bradenburg recorded the save.

Six different Tigers notched hits for TSU while Jasmine Brimm registered the team's only RBI of the game.

Laurie Lindow went 2-of-3 while Leah Taylor and Kate Vanderham each tallied RBI for the Skyhawks.

A couple of miscues by the Tigers allowed UT Martin to grab a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Skyhawks increased the advantage to 3-0 the next frame when Kate Vanderham hit a solo homerun to left center.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tigers answered to even the score at 3-all. After Jill Gardner singled and Ashley Haynes reached on a fielder's choice, Jalisa Bradley was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

The next batter, Jasmine Brimm , singled to third base to score Gardner. Later in the inning, the Tigers took advantage of a UTM error and posted two more runs to knot the game, 3-3.

The Skyhawks went back on top, 4-3, in the top of the fifth before adding two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

TSU managed to score a run in the bottom of the seventh but the Tiger rally came up short.

Tedra Alford singled down the right field line to lead off the inning. With two outs, a hit by Kelly Troglin moved Alford to third before she scored on a throwing error by the center fielder. That, however, would be the Tigers' only run of the frame.

Tennessee State finished the game with six hits and five errors while Tennessee-Martin had eight hits and two errors.  

Game Two

Kelly Troglin (2-6) was tagged with the loss while Chelsea Jones (6-3) picked up the win for UTM.

On the offensive end, Kelly Troglin went 3-for-4 at the plate while Brittany Webb turned in a 2-for-3 performance.

Amanda Brandenburg went 4-of-5 at the plate for UT Martin while Leah Taylor led the team with four RBI.

The Tigers got on the board early behind a two-out rally in the first inning. Kelly Troglin was the first to cross the plate when Jalisa Bradley doubled to right center.  Bradley scored all the way from second when Brittany Webb singled on the next play.

The Skyhawks got on the board in the top of the third when Leah Taylor hit a solo homerun just inside the leftfield pole.

In the bottom of the third, back-to-back singles from Caitlin Eaton and Kelly Troglin followed by a wild pitch put runners on second and third with only one out.

Jalisa Bradley reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second while Caitlin Eaton was thrown out at home plate. The Tigers, however, continued to rally when Brittany Webb stepped up and singled through the right side middle to score two more runs.

TSU was leading, 4-1, when UTM exploded for six runs off seven hits and one TSU error.

With one out, UTM used its fourth consecutive hit of the inning and a sacrifice fly to pull within one, 4-3. The Skyhawks took the lead, 6-4, with a three-run, inside the park homer from Leah Taylor before Jordan Garrett hit a solo shot to make the UTM lead, 7-4.

In the top of the fifth, the Skyhawks added three runs to make the score, 10-4.

Tennessee State missed an opportunity in the bottom of the fifth when the Tigers had the bases loaded with no outs. Eaton walked, Kelly Troglin doubled and Jalisa Bradley was hit by a pitch to load them up.

Brittany Webb hit a deep fly ball to right field in an attempt to score a run on a sacrifice fly but a base running miscue led to the Tigers getting their second out of the frame. The next batter struck out looking to end the inning.

UTM used two more runs in the seventh to stretch its lead to, 12-4.

TSU could not overcome the deficit as the Tigers went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.

Tennessee State had eight hits and three errors in the game while Tennessee-Martin tallied 18 hits and did not commit any errors. TSU had four RBI while UTM registered 12.

TSU will face UTM tomorrow in the series finale at 1 p.m. at Tiger Field.