Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, April 23
Birmingham, AL
4:30 PM
Middle Tennessee
16-24, 4-13
2
at
5
UAB
16-22, 8-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
6
1
UAB
0
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
X
5
8
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ryan Ruggles (5-2)
L: Wyrick, Jake (3-4)
S: Thomas Lowery (7)
Batting:
RBI: Huff, Drew 1
SF: Huff, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jarreau, Brad 1 ; Huff, Drew 1
CS: Huff, Drew 1
Batting:
2B: Carter Pharis 1 ; Mitch Williams 1
RBI: Brewer Hicklen 1 ; Carter Pharis 1 ; Griffin Gum 1 ; Blake Johnson 1
SH: Griffin Gum 1 ; Evan Peterson 1 ; Blake Johnson 2
SF: Carter Pharis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brewer Hicklen 2 ; Adam Smith 1 ; Mitch Williams 1 ; Blake Johnson 1
SB: Brewer Hicklen 1 ; Jared Nixon 1
CS: Griffin Gum 1
HBP: Brewer Hicklen 1 ; Adam Smith 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF/C
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballP/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Blue Raiders drop twinbill
4/23/2016 6:52:00 PM | Baseball
Drop pair at UAB
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Middle Tennessee suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of UAB, falling 10-1 in the opener and 5-2 in the nightcap here Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Raiders had difficult offensively in both games and managed six hits in the nightcap. The play of freshmen duo Drew Huff and Blake Benefield proved to be a highlight in the second game. They combined for four hits. Huff extended his hit streak to a career best 10 games and drove in a run. Brad Jarreau and AJ Spencer had the other hits.
Middle Tennessee and UAB were engaged in a pitcher's duel in the second game as starter Jake Wyrick followed up his three-hit shutout against Charlotte by flirting with another blanking against the Blazers.
Middle Tennessee got on the board first with a single run in the second inning of the nightcap. Huff started it with a one-out single, and Benefield followed suit with a base knock to put runners at first and second. Catcher Chaz Vesser coaxed a two-out walk, which proved costly, as it forced Huff to third and enabled him to score on the wild pitch to give the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead.
UAB got runners aboard against Wyrick in the second and third innings but the crafty lefty coaxed double plays in each inning to avoid damage in the close contest. Wyrick struck out designated hitter Kyle Davis looking with Carter Pharis at third and two outs of a 1-0 game to end the fourth.
Wyrick pitched with poise and precision throughout as he carved his way through the Blazers' batting order, putting up one goose egg after another until he ran into trouble of his own doing in the sixth. Wyrick, who had not allowed a free pass for 14 straight innings, issued a leadoff walk to the number nine hitter, hit leadoff hitter Brewer Hicklen on a 0-2 count, and walked Jared Nixon to load the bases with none out. UAB would use a sacrifice fly and a safety squeeze play to erase a 1-0 deficit and take a 2-1 lead without the benefit of a hit in the frame.
UAB tacked on three insurance runs off of relief pitcher Sam Alton in the bottom of the seventh and held on for the win.
The first game of the doubleheader saw the Blue Raiders fail to get on the scoreboard until the ninth inning.
Jarreau and Spencer were the only Blue Raiders with multi-hit games in the opener. Both players were 2-for-4, and Spencer scored Middle Tennessee's only run on a throwing error in the ninth. Huff, Austin Dennis, Andrew Cash and Will Schnure also had base hits. The opener also featured the pitching debut of senior Austin Norrell, who proved to be the Blue Raiders' most effective relief pitcher.
By the time Norrell reached the mound, UAB had pretty much decided the outcome with a 10-0 cushion. Norrell proved to be the Blue Raiders' most effective relief pitcher. Norrell didn't allow a hit in his 1-1/3 innings of work.
Trailing 4-0, Middle Tennessee had ample opportunity to get back into the first game of the twinbill with great scoring chances in the middle innings.
The Blue Raiders' first two runners reached in the fifth inning, keyed by Huff's leadoff single to extend his hit streak to nine. The rally ended with a double play and no runs scoring. The Blue Raiders' got the leadoff man aboard in the sixth but had the momentum end with another double play.
The seventh inning was the most frustrating. Still trailing 4-0, Middle Tennessee got its first three batters on base with no outs. Jarreau started the inning with his second hit of the game. Spencer followed with a base hit and Huff was hit by a pitch to load the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Blake Benefield.
Middle Tennessee's momentum fizzled when Benefield hit a ball back to the pitcher, who fired to home for one out and then the catcher's throw to first resulted in a third straight twin killing. The Blue Raiders failed to score.
UAB broke the game open when it scored six runs on just two hits in the bottom of the seventh to build a 10-0 lead. Blue Raider pitching walked four and hit two in the inning. They walked eight and hit two for the game.
The Blue Raiders will look to salvage the final game of the series Sunday. First pitch is 1 p.m.
The Blue Raiders had difficult offensively in both games and managed six hits in the nightcap. The play of freshmen duo Drew Huff and Blake Benefield proved to be a highlight in the second game. They combined for four hits. Huff extended his hit streak to a career best 10 games and drove in a run. Brad Jarreau and AJ Spencer had the other hits.
Middle Tennessee and UAB were engaged in a pitcher's duel in the second game as starter Jake Wyrick followed up his three-hit shutout against Charlotte by flirting with another blanking against the Blazers.
Middle Tennessee got on the board first with a single run in the second inning of the nightcap. Huff started it with a one-out single, and Benefield followed suit with a base knock to put runners at first and second. Catcher Chaz Vesser coaxed a two-out walk, which proved costly, as it forced Huff to third and enabled him to score on the wild pitch to give the Blue Raiders a 1-0 lead.
UAB got runners aboard against Wyrick in the second and third innings but the crafty lefty coaxed double plays in each inning to avoid damage in the close contest. Wyrick struck out designated hitter Kyle Davis looking with Carter Pharis at third and two outs of a 1-0 game to end the fourth.
Wyrick pitched with poise and precision throughout as he carved his way through the Blazers' batting order, putting up one goose egg after another until he ran into trouble of his own doing in the sixth. Wyrick, who had not allowed a free pass for 14 straight innings, issued a leadoff walk to the number nine hitter, hit leadoff hitter Brewer Hicklen on a 0-2 count, and walked Jared Nixon to load the bases with none out. UAB would use a sacrifice fly and a safety squeeze play to erase a 1-0 deficit and take a 2-1 lead without the benefit of a hit in the frame.
UAB tacked on three insurance runs off of relief pitcher Sam Alton in the bottom of the seventh and held on for the win.
The first game of the doubleheader saw the Blue Raiders fail to get on the scoreboard until the ninth inning.
Jarreau and Spencer were the only Blue Raiders with multi-hit games in the opener. Both players were 2-for-4, and Spencer scored Middle Tennessee's only run on a throwing error in the ninth. Huff, Austin Dennis, Andrew Cash and Will Schnure also had base hits. The opener also featured the pitching debut of senior Austin Norrell, who proved to be the Blue Raiders' most effective relief pitcher.
By the time Norrell reached the mound, UAB had pretty much decided the outcome with a 10-0 cushion. Norrell proved to be the Blue Raiders' most effective relief pitcher. Norrell didn't allow a hit in his 1-1/3 innings of work.
Trailing 4-0, Middle Tennessee had ample opportunity to get back into the first game of the twinbill with great scoring chances in the middle innings.
The Blue Raiders' first two runners reached in the fifth inning, keyed by Huff's leadoff single to extend his hit streak to nine. The rally ended with a double play and no runs scoring. The Blue Raiders' got the leadoff man aboard in the sixth but had the momentum end with another double play.
The seventh inning was the most frustrating. Still trailing 4-0, Middle Tennessee got its first three batters on base with no outs. Jarreau started the inning with his second hit of the game. Spencer followed with a base hit and Huff was hit by a pitch to load the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Blake Benefield.
Middle Tennessee's momentum fizzled when Benefield hit a ball back to the pitcher, who fired to home for one out and then the catcher's throw to first resulted in a third straight twin killing. The Blue Raiders failed to score.
UAB broke the game open when it scored six runs on just two hits in the bottom of the seventh to build a 10-0 lead. Blue Raider pitching walked four and hit two in the inning. They walked eight and hit two for the game.
The Blue Raiders will look to salvage the final game of the series Sunday. First pitch is 1 p.m.
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