MARTIN, Tenn. — The Tennessee State softball team snapped a 10-game skid with a game two win on Saturday against UT Martin. The Skyhawks took the opener, 8-0, but the Tigers responded in the second game, breaking a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning to secure the victory.
GAME 1 | UT Martin 8, Tennessee State 0
The Tennessee State Tigers were not able to record a run against UT Martin pitcher junior Ashtyn Green on Saturday and were shut out 8-0 by the Skyhawks.
Freshman Reina Castillo (14-8) started and took the loss in the circle for Tennessee State (20-19, ). The right-hander went four innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on five hits, allowing no walks and striking out five.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee State did not advance a runner past second base in the game. The Tigers went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, last placing a runner as far as second in the third, when freshman JaKeyla McDaniel made it into scoring position with nobody out.
GAME NOTES
» Tennessee State pitchers faced 31 UT Martin hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and four fly balls while striking out five.
» McDaniel led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-2.
» UT Martin was led offensively by junior A. Makarewicz, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
» Green led the Skyhawks pitching staff, throwing six shutout innings.
GAME 2 | Tennessee State 9, UT Martin 6
The Tennessee State Tigers broke through after a 5-5 tie in the fifth inning to beat the UT Martin Skyhawks 9-6 Saturday.
Freshman Reina Castillo (15-8) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Tennessee State (21-19, ). The right-hander went 2.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing no walks and striking out one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tigers got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning. Tennessee State scored twice, with one run coming across on freshman Jace Jackson's single.
The Tigers then lost some of their lead, expanding on their advantage in the second inning after the Skyhawks cut it to 2-1. which brought the Tigers lead to 5-1.
UT Martin clawed back to tie the ballgame at five before Tennessee State reclaimed a 9-5 advantage in the sixth inning. The Tigers bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run single off the bat of freshman Mikayla Duke. UT Martin put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Tennessee State still held on for the 9-6 win.
GAME NOTES
» Freshman Kailyn Jean-Baptiste picked up three base knocks in the game for Tennessee State.
» Tennessee State's highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed four runs across.
» Tennessee State grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» Five Tigers had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Tigers had a total of 15 hits.
» The Tigers out-hit the Skyhawks at a 15-7 clip.
» Tennessee State went 6-for-13 (.462) with runners in scoring position.
» Tennessee State pitchers limited UT Martin to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Tennessee State pitchers faced 32 UT Martin hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out one.
» Duke led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI.
» UT Martin was led offensively by junior Dylan Scott, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
» Sophomore Payton Harris led the Skyhawks pitching staff, throwing two scoreless innings.
