Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, March 25
Bowling Green, KY
6:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
12-10, 0
1
at
3
WKU
12-9, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
0
WKU
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
X
3
10
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Austin King (2-1)
L: Hoffmann, Nate (0-3)
S: Jackson Sowell (3)
Batting:
2B: Aucker, Aaron 1
RBI: Benefield, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sistrunk, Austin 1
Batting:
2B: Zach Janes 1 ; Danny Hudzina 1
RBI: Steven Kraft 1 ; Harrison Scanlon 1 ; Paul Murray 1
SH: Ty Downing 1
SF: Harrison Scanlon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zach Janes 1 ; Steven Kraft 1 ; Danny Hudzina 1
HBP: Kaleb Duckworth 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Blue Raiders drop pitcher's duel to WKU, 3-1
3/25/2016 9:03:00 PM | Baseball
MT looks to even series Saturday
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – When rivals Middle Tennessee and WKU got together for the first game of a three-game C-USA series Friday, a pitcher's duel broke out.
Unfortunately, for the Blue Raiders (12-10, 1-3), starting pitcher Nate Hoffmann came up on the short end as Middle Tennessee dropped a 3-1 decision in the opener in front of 317 at Nick Denes Field.
WKU starter Austin King earned the win with 7-1/3 innings of four-hit baseball. Jackson Sowell earned his third save with 1-2/3 innings of two-hit relief to lead the Hilltoppers (12-9, 1-3).
Hoffmann was outstanding, providing six innings and scattering seven hits and three runs.
WKU scored two runs in the bottom of the first and then Hoffmann retired 13 straight before Danny Hudzina led off the sixth with a double.
"(Hoffmann) pitched great and gave us a chance to win the game but our offense didn't really give us a chance," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "We never could put anything together against (King)."
Middle Tennessee cut the deficit in half when Aaron Aucker led off the second with a double, but he was pinch run for with Austin Sistrunk. Blake Benefield singled to score Sistrunk to cut the deficit to 2-1, but that would be the extent of the Blue Raider offense.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth when WKU scored a big insurance run.
"You have to tip your cap to (King) and (Sowell) because they pitched with the lead and got their team the win," McGuire said. "I'm pleased with the start Hoffmann gave us and (Carson) Lester was good in relief. We just couldn't do enough offensively to get the win."
Benefield was the only Blue Raider with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with one RBI. Riley Delgado, Austin Dennis, Brad Jarreau and Aucker also had base hits for Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders will look to even the series when Tyler Troutt takes the mound Saturday at 1 p.m.
Unfortunately, for the Blue Raiders (12-10, 1-3), starting pitcher Nate Hoffmann came up on the short end as Middle Tennessee dropped a 3-1 decision in the opener in front of 317 at Nick Denes Field.
WKU starter Austin King earned the win with 7-1/3 innings of four-hit baseball. Jackson Sowell earned his third save with 1-2/3 innings of two-hit relief to lead the Hilltoppers (12-9, 1-3).
Hoffmann was outstanding, providing six innings and scattering seven hits and three runs.
WKU scored two runs in the bottom of the first and then Hoffmann retired 13 straight before Danny Hudzina led off the sixth with a double.
"(Hoffmann) pitched great and gave us a chance to win the game but our offense didn't really give us a chance," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "We never could put anything together against (King)."
Middle Tennessee cut the deficit in half when Aaron Aucker led off the second with a double, but he was pinch run for with Austin Sistrunk. Blake Benefield singled to score Sistrunk to cut the deficit to 2-1, but that would be the extent of the Blue Raider offense.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth when WKU scored a big insurance run.
"You have to tip your cap to (King) and (Sowell) because they pitched with the lead and got their team the win," McGuire said. "I'm pleased with the start Hoffmann gave us and (Carson) Lester was good in relief. We just couldn't do enough offensively to get the win."
Benefield was the only Blue Raider with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with one RBI. Riley Delgado, Austin Dennis, Brad Jarreau and Aucker also had base hits for Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders will look to even the series when Tyler Troutt takes the mound Saturday at 1 p.m.
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