MARTIN, Tenn. ā Eastern Illinois softball rally came up short in the opener while a big early inning by UT Martin in game two carried the Skyhawks to a pair of OVC wins over EIU on Friday afternoon.
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EIU fell to 21-22 on the season and 6-10 in the OVC losing 6-3 in the opener and 15-3 in the second game.
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UT Martin improved to 24-12 overall, 9-4 in the OVC.
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The final game of the weekend series is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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UT MARTIN 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
Eastern Illinois rallied with a pair of runs in the fifth inning in game one but could not score in the final two innings falling 6-3 to UT Martin in the opener. Ā
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UT Martin opened the game taking a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single by Shyanne Sheffield. Ā Ā Sheffield would provide more of the Skyhawks offense in the third as she connected for a three-run homer to put UTM up 6-1.
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Lindy Milkowski had cut the UTM lead in half with her solo home run in the second for EIU.Ā Milkowski was one of three EIU players with two hits in the game joining
Hannah Cravens and
Rachel Kaufman.
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The Panthers added another home run in the fifth on a two-run shot by
Megan Burton.Ā EIU would get singles by Kaufman and Cravens in the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to advance them and score.
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Erin Gallagher picked up the win improving to 8-2 while Katie Dreiling closed out the game for the Skyhawks for her second save.Ā Kaci Fuller led UTM with three hits.Ā
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Kaufman started for EIU and suffered the loss falling to 3-7.
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UT MARTIN 15, EASTERN ILLINOIS 3
UT Martin took advantage of two Eastern Illinois errors in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to a 5-0 lead before scoring ten in the bottom of the second during a 15-3 win over Eastern Illinois.
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EIU would score one run in the top of the second on a
Riley Dittmar single before
Hannah Cravens had a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth.Ā
Megan Burton drove in the final EIU run in the fifth with a single to right as she was 2-for-3 in the contest.
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Shyanne Sheffield had the big hit in the first inning for UTM with an RBI double to left that kept the inning alive.Ā
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In the second the Skyhawks had six hits to drive in runs but also took advantage of some control issues by the EIU pitching staff as one run came in on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch with three other runs walked home.
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Sheffield was 3-for-4 in the game with three RBI while Kaitlyn Kelley added three hits.
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Alexis Groet improved to 9-6 with the win in the circle.Ā
Alexa Rehmeier took the loss falling to 10-7.Ā
Kaitlyn Reifsteck pitched 2.2 innings of relief to close the game allowing just one earned run.
