MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Six runs combined in the fourth and fifth innings was too much for Alabama A&M (1-2, 0-0 SWAC) to come back from as they dropped a 9-3 decision to UT-Martin (3-0, 0-0 OVC) in an NCAA Division I softball game on Saturday, February 20 as part of Alabama State's Black and Gold Tournament.
The Skyhawks would take the early lead in the first inning, building a run with a single and steal by Kaci Fuller before Chelsey Gore singled to right to bring her home and make it 1-0. As quick as the inning developed it was gone, however, as freshman pitcher
Esperanza Coe (Beaumont, Calif.) got a fly ball, strikeout and groundout from the next three batters to keep it right there.
And there is where it would stay for the next two and a half innings as the teams combined for a pair of hits entering the top of the fourth. UTM wasted no time waking up the bats with a single and double to put runners on second and third, a situation that would be resolved by Macey Neal with a two-RBI single to make it 3-0.
They would then load the bases on a walk and bunt single before A&M choked off any more runs on back-to-back plays at the plate. With two outs, they would get out of any further damage with a lineout on a 3-1 pitch.
The Bulldogs would deliver a quiet rally in the home half of the inning with a leadoff single, an error on a sacrifice bunt and a two out walk but would be unable to capitalize as a strikeout snuffed out the rally.
Following two outs to lead off the fifth, UT-Martin got a single from Kallie Pickens before Neal drove a ball down the rightfield line and over the fence for a two-run shot to make it 5-0. The Skyhawks would be right back at it after clearing the bases as they followed with a single and double, prompting a pitching change. It would not have the desired result, however, as a single by Gore brought home two more for a seven run spread that would hold until the top of the seventh.
Both teams would show some late life as UTM delivered back-to-back singles and utilized a sac bunt to put both runners in scoring position. It would be something they would capitalize on as Paige Clark then singled to left field, driving home both for a 9-0 lead before getting thrown out at second.
After a liner ended the inning, the Bulldogs woke up the bats in their half as junior first baseman
Rachael McKinney (Birmingham, Ala.) blasted a ball over the left field fence to cut it to 9-1. After pinch hitting, freshman infielder
Faith Cross (Pulaski, Tenn.) walked on a 3-2 count and was doubled home by freshman second baseman
Gabriella Belyeu (San Jose, Calif.) to get within seven.
With two outs, freshman shortstop
Serena Herbranson (Hemet, Calif.) then singled home Belyeu to make it 9-3, a score that would end up as the final two batters later.
McKinney led the offensive attack for Alabama A&M as she went 1-for-2 with her first homerun of the year and the RBI that came with it while Herbranson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Belyeu rounded out the offense with her RBI double and added a run scored. Coe pitched 4.2 innings, allowing 12 hits and seven runs while striking out a pair to drop to 1-1 on the year. Junior pitcher McHaliee Danner (Bountiful, Utah) pitched the final 2.1 innings, surrendering five hits and a pair of runs.
Neal went 3-of-4 and mashed a homerun to come away with four RBIs for the Skyhawks while Gore was 3-for-4 with three RBIs. A threat both to get on and once she was on, Fuller went 4-for-5 with a steal and three runs scored and Clark added a pair of RBIs on a 2-for-5 day. Alexis Groet started and went four full innings, striking out seven and allowing just one hit to improve to 2-0 before Hannah Ridolfi pitched the last three frames, giving up all three runs on four hits.
The Bulldogs are back in action this afternoon at 3 p.m. as they close out their stay at the Black and Gold Tournament as they take on host and rival Alabama State.
