For the second straight year the Skyhawk softball team swept its three-game series with Tennessee State, dominating Saturday’s doubleheader and coming from behind to win on Sunday.

The Skyhawks took advantage of three TSU errors in Saturday’s opener as they cruised to a 6-1 win. Skyhawk starter Ashley Myatt scattered seven hits and struck out seven in a complete game performance. The Tigers did not score their run until the top of the seventh inning as Myatt fell one out short of recording a shutout. The win improved her record to 8-4 on the season.

Emily Webb drew a leadoff walk to start the second inning and turned it into the game’s first run. She scored on a wild pitch with her twin sister Christa at the plate. C. Webb singled later in the at-bat to drive in Lauren Manna from third base and give the Skyhawks a 2-0 lead. C. Webb had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.

The Skyhawks used alert baserunning and sloppy fielding by the Tigers to create another run in the third inning. The inning began with three consecutive walks. Brandy Whalen, Justine Pineda, and Savannah Roberts each drew a free pass to first base. Each also stole a base in the inning. Pineda scored on an error by the Tigers’ second baseman to extend the Skyhawk lead to 3-0.

The Tigers put together a couple of hits to pose a threat in the top of the fourth inning. The two baserunners were ultimately stranded on base as Myatt recorded two key strikeouts to end the inning.

Greer Long, C. Webb, and Jennifer Young got the Skyhawks started in the sixth inning with consecutive singles. The Skyhawks scored two runs in the inning without any additional hits. Whalen recorded a sacrifice fly to right field to score Long. Justine Pineda followed with a groundout to drive in C. Webb.

The Tigers earned their run when shortstop Nira Robbins doubled to score Samantha Hurst from second base.

The Tigers struck first in game two when Robbins hit a two-run home run in the third inning. It turned out that the Skyhawks were just waiting to erupt on offense as they went on to score ten unanswered runs to claim a 10-2 win that invoked the mercy rule.

The Skyhawks scored half of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Pineda scored first on an error by the Tigers shortstop. With the bases loaded, C. Webb approached the plate and hit a double to give the Skyhawks a 4-1 lead. Brittany Nash later singled to drive in the final run of the inning.

The team added two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth. After Roberts hit a sixth-inning single to centerfield, scoring Nash and Young, the game was called on account of the ten-run limit. Ashton Strode earned the win on the mound for the Skyhawks and improved her record to 7-9 on the season. Strode allowed two runs on four hits while pitching a complete game. She didn’t allow a baserunner until the third inning.

Saturday’s offensive outburst gave way to a closer contest on Sunday in which every baserunner was precious. The Skyhawks fell behind early once again before Pineda hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to provide what proved to be the game-winning runs.

The Skyhawks took a 2-1 lead on the home run and won by that score. Holly Templeton improved her record to 4-2 as she pitched five innings for the Skyhawks, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts. The Tigers scored on a passed ball by Manna in the first inning. Robbins scored the run after leading off the inning with a single. Neither team was able to put any consistent offense together until the fourth inning.

Myatt relieved Templeton in the sixth inning and stranded two baserunners to preserve the Skyhawk lead. She then retired the Tigers in order in the seventh to earn her second save of the season. The Skyhawks won despite committing two errors on defense in the game.

The Skyhawks improved their record to 22-16-1 overall and 7-4 in the OVC. They are in fifth place in the conference as they prepare for a non-conference home doubleheader against Memphis at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Bettye Giles Field.