Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, April 16
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
2PM
Middle Tennessee
22-20, 0
2
vs
7
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UTEP
18-23, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UTEP
1
2
0
1
2
1
0
7
13
2
Middle Tennessee
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
6
5
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fifield, Kaitlin (7-12)
L: Cheney, Kelci (14-11)
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Batting:
2B: Pepi, Kiki 2
HR: Garcia, Linda 1
RBI: Clayton, Courtney 1 ; Ryder, Kaitlin 1 ; Pepi, Kiki 2 ; Moreno, Hope 1 ; Garcia, Linda 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Clayton, Courtney 1 ; Ryder, Kaitlin 1 ; Pepi, Kiki 1 ; Netane,Kawehiokalani 1 ; Garcia, Linda 2 ; Smith, Cortney 1
SB: Netane,Kawehiokalani 1 ; Garcia, Linda 1
CS: Sargent, Taylor 1
Batting:
RBI: Grove, Payton 1 ; Harris, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Birdsong, Precious 2
SB: Birdsong, Precious 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Birdsong helps MT to split with Miners
4/16/2016 8:17:00 PM | Softball
Precious Birdsong goes 6-for-6 as MT splits with UTEP, wins Game 2 9-3
MURFREESBORO – Precious Birdsong continued her hot streak as she went 6-for-6 on the day, scored five runs, stole three bases and hit her second homer of the season to help Middle Tennessee (23-20, 6-8) pick up a double-header split with UTEP (18-24, 9-5) Saturday.
The Raiders dropped the first game 7-2 behind five defensive errors. They also found out why the Miners are one of the top hitting clubs in Conference USA as UTEP pounded out 13 hits in the game including a home run by Linda Garcia.
Game two was a much better performance by the Raiders as they picked up 13 hits of their own, scored in four of the six innings they hit in, and Birdsong hit her first out-of-the-park homer of the season. MT took the win 9-3 as Megan Chocallo and Pattie Taylor combined for a masterful 7.0 innings in which they allowed just three Miner runs on 11 hits.
Game one began quickly as Kiki Pepi doubled to left center to bring home Courtney Clayton with the game's first run in the top of the first. The Raiders came back quickly, however, as Birdsong singled, moved to second on an error, went to third on Peyton Grove's groundout, then scored on a base hit from Morgan Harris. After one inning, the game was tied 1-1.
The Miners retook the lead quickly as they plated two in the second. Clayton singled to bring home Garcia, then Kaitlin Ryder followed by reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Cortney Smith. After just two innings it was already 3-1 UTEP.
Blue Raider starter Kelci Cheney had a clean third, but ran into trouble again in the fourth. With two out, Pepi doubled to left center and Ryder crossed the plate to increase the Miner lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, Garcia hit a homer to straight away center with one out and one and the Miners were in control 6-1. The long ball knocked Cheney out of the game and brought in Taylor, who pitched out of the bullpen in both games.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, MT got a little closer as Grove singled to score Birdsong to close the game to 6-2. But that's as close as the Raiders came in game one as UTEP scored one more in the sixth and took the first match up 7-2.
Cheney (14-11) picked up the loss as she allowed six runs in 5.0 innings of work on 11 hits. Kaitlin Fifield (7-12) earned the win for the Miners as she threw all 7.0 innings and allowed just two runs on six hits.
Game two started much better for the Raiders as they plated four in the first inning alone. With two on and nobody out, Harris singled home Birdsong for a 1-0 lead. After two strikeouts, Carlie Jenkins doubled home Harris and Randi Cookus. Megan Griffith followed with an RBI single that plated Jenkins and MT had control early 4-0.
UTEP came right back as Garcia and Smith hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the top of the second. But they were both solo shots and only cut the Raider lead to 4-2.
In the fourth the Miners got one run closer with another solo homer, this time from Kawehiokalani Netane. She took Chocallo's 1-2 pitch over the center field wall and UTEP was within a run at 4-3.
But the Raiders responded as Harris earned a bases loaded, two-out hit that scored Grove and Lauren Payne. Birdsong scored on a throwing error on the play and MT increased their lead to 7-3.
Taylor (2) came out of the bullpen again at that point and shut down the Miners. Taylor allowed no runs on four hits in 3.0 innings of work to pick up her second save of the year. Chocallo (4-5) earned her fourth win as she allowed three runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings pitched.
The Raiders plated single runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. Griffith singled to right center in the fifth with two on, and when Jenkins got caught in a run down, Austyn Whaley scored to increase the MT lead to 8-3.
Then in the bottom of the sixth, Birdsong, who had been beating out infield singles all day long, got a hold of a Taylor Grohmann pitch and parked it over the right field wall for her first out-of-the-park homer of the season. The round tripper helped the Raiders to a 9-3 final score.
Middle Tennessee and UTEP will finish their three-game set Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon and it is the Blue Raiders annual "Pink Out" game. Fans are scheduled to wear pink in honor of the fight against breast cancer and the first 100 fans will get a pink tote.
The Raiders dropped the first game 7-2 behind five defensive errors. They also found out why the Miners are one of the top hitting clubs in Conference USA as UTEP pounded out 13 hits in the game including a home run by Linda Garcia.
Game two was a much better performance by the Raiders as they picked up 13 hits of their own, scored in four of the six innings they hit in, and Birdsong hit her first out-of-the-park homer of the season. MT took the win 9-3 as Megan Chocallo and Pattie Taylor combined for a masterful 7.0 innings in which they allowed just three Miner runs on 11 hits.
Game one began quickly as Kiki Pepi doubled to left center to bring home Courtney Clayton with the game's first run in the top of the first. The Raiders came back quickly, however, as Birdsong singled, moved to second on an error, went to third on Peyton Grove's groundout, then scored on a base hit from Morgan Harris. After one inning, the game was tied 1-1.
The Miners retook the lead quickly as they plated two in the second. Clayton singled to bring home Garcia, then Kaitlin Ryder followed by reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Cortney Smith. After just two innings it was already 3-1 UTEP.
Blue Raider starter Kelci Cheney had a clean third, but ran into trouble again in the fourth. With two out, Pepi doubled to left center and Ryder crossed the plate to increase the Miner lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, Garcia hit a homer to straight away center with one out and one and the Miners were in control 6-1. The long ball knocked Cheney out of the game and brought in Taylor, who pitched out of the bullpen in both games.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, MT got a little closer as Grove singled to score Birdsong to close the game to 6-2. But that's as close as the Raiders came in game one as UTEP scored one more in the sixth and took the first match up 7-2.
Cheney (14-11) picked up the loss as she allowed six runs in 5.0 innings of work on 11 hits. Kaitlin Fifield (7-12) earned the win for the Miners as she threw all 7.0 innings and allowed just two runs on six hits.
Game two started much better for the Raiders as they plated four in the first inning alone. With two on and nobody out, Harris singled home Birdsong for a 1-0 lead. After two strikeouts, Carlie Jenkins doubled home Harris and Randi Cookus. Megan Griffith followed with an RBI single that plated Jenkins and MT had control early 4-0.
UTEP came right back as Garcia and Smith hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the top of the second. But they were both solo shots and only cut the Raider lead to 4-2.
In the fourth the Miners got one run closer with another solo homer, this time from Kawehiokalani Netane. She took Chocallo's 1-2 pitch over the center field wall and UTEP was within a run at 4-3.
But the Raiders responded as Harris earned a bases loaded, two-out hit that scored Grove and Lauren Payne. Birdsong scored on a throwing error on the play and MT increased their lead to 7-3.
Taylor (2) came out of the bullpen again at that point and shut down the Miners. Taylor allowed no runs on four hits in 3.0 innings of work to pick up her second save of the year. Chocallo (4-5) earned her fourth win as she allowed three runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings pitched.
The Raiders plated single runs in each the fifth and sixth innings. Griffith singled to right center in the fifth with two on, and when Jenkins got caught in a run down, Austyn Whaley scored to increase the MT lead to 8-3.
Then in the bottom of the sixth, Birdsong, who had been beating out infield singles all day long, got a hold of a Taylor Grohmann pitch and parked it over the right field wall for her first out-of-the-park homer of the season. The round tripper helped the Raiders to a 9-3 final score.
Middle Tennessee and UTEP will finish their three-game set Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon and it is the Blue Raiders annual "Pink Out" game. Fans are scheduled to wear pink in honor of the fight against breast cancer and the first 100 fans will get a pink tote.
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