RICHMOND, Ky. – A two RBI double to center from sophomore Paige Murphy lifted the Eastern Kentucky University softball team to a 6-4 win in game two of Sunday’s Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader against the University of Tennessee at Martin at Gertrude Hood Field.
With the win, the Colonels (33-12, 13-3 OVC) split on Sunday after falling in game one, 2-0.
Trailing 4-2 in the home half of the sixth, freshman Hannah Clark sent a double to center field to start the EKU rally. Freshman Brittany Oldaker drove in her 10th run of the year with a single to left center to score Clark and pull the Colonels within one.
After Brooke Harrison entered as a pinch runner for Oldaker, back-to-back singles from juniors Kelly Wood and Amber Murray loaded the bases for Krislyn Campos. The Las Vegas, Nevada product tallied the third straight single to knock in Harrison and knotted the score at four all.
With the bases still loaded, senior Kayla Joyce reached first on a fielder’s choice, but the Skyhawks got the force at the plate to deny the go-ahead run.
However, Murphy sent her 14th and 15th RBI of the year to the plate with a two-run shot to center, giving the Colonels a 6-4 advantage.
The Colonels locked up the win after retiring UT Martin in order in the top of the seventh to earn the split.
UT Martin plated runs in the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead. With one on, Jodie Duncan homered to right field to give the Skyhawks their first runs of the game. Brooke Graham and Katie Warrick posted RBIs in the following innings to extend the UT Martin lead to four.
Senior Hayley Flynn and junior Alex Sallberg split time on the mound, as Flynn notched her 23rd victory of the season. Flynn tossed five innings of relief, logging six strikeouts and allowing only one hit.
In Sunday’s first game, a two-run single from Warrick proved to be the only runs of the contest.
Another solid joint effort from Flynn and Sallberg limited UT Martin to only four hits on the day, while combining for eight strikeouts.
Clark paced the EKU offense going 3-for-6 on the day at the plate. Murphy’s two RBIs led the Colonels.
Warrick and Duncan both finished with two RBIs on the day to lead UT Martin.
The Colonels return to Gertrude Hood Field this weekend for a three-game series against OVC front-runner Jacksonville State.
