Extra effort no reward for UTM

CHARLESTON, Ill. —  The UT Martin softball team went to an extra inning in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament before falling to the No. 4 seed Murray State Racers on a walk-off double by a score of 2-1 in the eighth inning.
“Our girls fought tough throughout the game as our pitching was our strength,” said UT Martin head coach Donley Canary. “Casey and Kenzi pitched terrific innings and kept us in the ballgame until the end. We would have preferred for a different outcome, but we still have games to play so we have to learn from this experience and turn this setback into a positive with Morehead State tomorrow.”
The game got off to a bumpy start in the first inning.
The Racers reached on an infield single before a Skyhawk error allowed runners on first and second. The Racers would later push across their first run with a single up the middle, giving MSU the early lead.
UT Martin quickly retaliated in the top of the second as sophomore Kenzi Tate led off with a single into left-center. Lauren Smith lined a rope double into the left field gap to score Tate from second and knot the game at 1-1.
In the eighth, the Racers’ Ellyn Troup registered a walk-off double into the rightfield gap to score Casey Castile for the 2-1 victory.
Sophomore duo of Kelsey Dixon and Tate went 2-for-4 respectively, with Tate scoring the only UTM run of the ballgame.
Casey Vincent got the start for the Skyhawks, pitching 42⁄3 innings while allowing no earned runs. Tate (17-6) appeared in relief, pitching three innings but tagged with the hard-fought loss. Tate struck out three while allowing just one walk.
The Skyhawks will move into the consolation bracket where they will face off against No. 8 seed Morehead State today. First pitch from Williams Field on the campus of Eastern Illinois is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Published in The Messenger 5.9.13