Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Wednesday, April 27
Cookeville, Tenn.
6:00 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
17-25
9
at
3
Tennessee Tech
21-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
4
0
0
3
0
1
1
9
12
0
Tennessee Tech
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
5
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lester, Carson (1-0)
L: MALONEY (1-3)
Batting:
HR: Benefield, Blake 2
RBI: Dennis, Austin 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 2 ; Spencer, AJ 2 ; Benefield, Blake 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1 ; Jarreau, Brad 2 ; Huff, Drew 2 ; Benefield, Blake 2 ; Shapen, Vaughn 1
SB: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1
HBP: Delgado, Riley 1
Batting:
2B: FARR 1 ; STROHSCHEIN 1
3B: FLICK 1
HR: PUTZIG 1
RBI: PUTZIG 1 ; STROHSCHEIN 1 ; GARZA 1
SF: GARZA 1
Base Running:
RUNS: PUTZIG 1 ; FARR 1 ; FLICK 1
CS: OSBORNE, N. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
LHP/1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
P/OF
/ Baseball
IF/C
/ Baseball
P/OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
Frosh shine as Blue Raiders pound Tennessee Tech, 9-3
4/27/2016 9:49:00 PM | Baseball
Benefield blasts two home runs in win
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When you start four true freshmen and the two pitchers who lead the team in appearances are also rookies, there are going to be growing pains.
There were no such pain here Wednesday as Middle Tennessee pounded out a 9-3 win to split the season series with Tennessee Tech, and freshmen were chiefly prevalent in the game's outcome.
The freshmen quartet of Blake Benefield, Austin Dennis, Drew Huff and AJ Spencer combined to go 8-for-16 with two home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored. Additionally, freshman pitcher Carson Lester earned his first career victory with four innings of two-hit, shutout baseball.
"Several players contributed to the team's success in this game but the freshmen did play well," Middle Tennessee skipper Jim McGuire said. "We had a better approach offensively and that was a big key. Overall, the pitching was there and gave us a chance for the win. It feels good to get this win and play well in the process. We need to carry the momentum of this game into the weekend (against Marshall)."
Benefield has had a solid breakout season but he turned in a monster game in Cookeville. Benefield belted two home runs, went 3-for-4, drove in four runs and scored two. Huff was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and continued his torrid pace. Dennis was 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, as well as a stolen base, and Spencer was 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Aaron Aucker, Riley Delgado, Brad Jarreau, Kevin Sullivan and Vaughn Shapen also had base knocks for the Blue Raiders (17-25).
Middle Tennessee jumped on the Golden Eagles for four runs in the top of the first on the strength of five hits. It could have been even better, but Middle Tennessee had one runner thrown out at the plate and the third out of the inning followed a base hit and base-running mistake.
Delgado started the uprising with a sharp single and was the first of four straight Blue Raiders to reach base. Dennis followed with a hit-and-run single to put runners at the corners. Jarreau walked on four pitches to load the bases for Aucker, who laced a two-run single into the gap in right center to stake the Blue Raiders to a 2-0 lead.
Spencer drove in the third run of the inning, scoring Jarreau. Huff singled and eventually scored on a base hit from Benefield for an early 4-0 lead.
"That start was big for us," McGuire said. "We struggled some over the weekend offensively so it was good to see us get jump started from the outset and swing the bats well throughout the game, for the most part."
Tennessee Tech responded with two in the bottom of the first and one in the second to pull to within 4-3 against starting pitcher Sam Alton. Freshman Carson Lester came on in the bottom of the third.
Lester was dominant as he carved up the Golden Eagle lineup. Tennessee Tech (21-18) collected three hits in the first two innings. It had two the remainder of the game against Lester and against Reid Clements for another.
Lester retired six straight during one stretch. He allowed two hits in his four-inning stint and struck out four in earning his first college victory.
"(Lester) located his pitches and really had solid command out there," McGuire said. "He got stronger as the game went and he could have kept going but with the weekend series two days out, we didn't want to extend him."
Middle Tennessee got the offense going again in the fourth and, once again, several freshmen were prominent in the scoring. Huff opened the inning with his second hit in as many at-bats and Benefield chased him home with a mammoth two-run home run to left field. It was Benefield's team-leading fourth home run and staked Middle Tennessee to a 6-3 lead. Dennis capped the fourth-inning scoring when his second hit in as many at-bats added to his team RBI lead, scoring Shapen, and providing a 7-3 lead.
Benefield's second home run of the game – a colossal blast that went more than 405 feet to straight-away center field – staked Middle Tennessee to an 8-3 advantage in the sixth. It marked the first time a Blue Raider has hit two home run in a game since Kevin Dupree did it last year in the first game of a double header against Charlotte.
Middle Tennessee tacked on one run in the seventh to claim the 9-3 win.
The Blue Raiders will play host to Marshall for a three-game C-USA series this weekend.
There were no such pain here Wednesday as Middle Tennessee pounded out a 9-3 win to split the season series with Tennessee Tech, and freshmen were chiefly prevalent in the game's outcome.
The freshmen quartet of Blake Benefield, Austin Dennis, Drew Huff and AJ Spencer combined to go 8-for-16 with two home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored. Additionally, freshman pitcher Carson Lester earned his first career victory with four innings of two-hit, shutout baseball.
"Several players contributed to the team's success in this game but the freshmen did play well," Middle Tennessee skipper Jim McGuire said. "We had a better approach offensively and that was a big key. Overall, the pitching was there and gave us a chance for the win. It feels good to get this win and play well in the process. We need to carry the momentum of this game into the weekend (against Marshall)."
Benefield has had a solid breakout season but he turned in a monster game in Cookeville. Benefield belted two home runs, went 3-for-4, drove in four runs and scored two. Huff was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and continued his torrid pace. Dennis was 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, as well as a stolen base, and Spencer was 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Aaron Aucker, Riley Delgado, Brad Jarreau, Kevin Sullivan and Vaughn Shapen also had base knocks for the Blue Raiders (17-25).
Middle Tennessee jumped on the Golden Eagles for four runs in the top of the first on the strength of five hits. It could have been even better, but Middle Tennessee had one runner thrown out at the plate and the third out of the inning followed a base hit and base-running mistake.
Delgado started the uprising with a sharp single and was the first of four straight Blue Raiders to reach base. Dennis followed with a hit-and-run single to put runners at the corners. Jarreau walked on four pitches to load the bases for Aucker, who laced a two-run single into the gap in right center to stake the Blue Raiders to a 2-0 lead.
Spencer drove in the third run of the inning, scoring Jarreau. Huff singled and eventually scored on a base hit from Benefield for an early 4-0 lead.
"That start was big for us," McGuire said. "We struggled some over the weekend offensively so it was good to see us get jump started from the outset and swing the bats well throughout the game, for the most part."
Tennessee Tech responded with two in the bottom of the first and one in the second to pull to within 4-3 against starting pitcher Sam Alton. Freshman Carson Lester came on in the bottom of the third.
Lester was dominant as he carved up the Golden Eagle lineup. Tennessee Tech (21-18) collected three hits in the first two innings. It had two the remainder of the game against Lester and against Reid Clements for another.
Lester retired six straight during one stretch. He allowed two hits in his four-inning stint and struck out four in earning his first college victory.
"(Lester) located his pitches and really had solid command out there," McGuire said. "He got stronger as the game went and he could have kept going but with the weekend series two days out, we didn't want to extend him."
Middle Tennessee got the offense going again in the fourth and, once again, several freshmen were prominent in the scoring. Huff opened the inning with his second hit in as many at-bats and Benefield chased him home with a mammoth two-run home run to left field. It was Benefield's team-leading fourth home run and staked Middle Tennessee to a 6-3 lead. Dennis capped the fourth-inning scoring when his second hit in as many at-bats added to his team RBI lead, scoring Shapen, and providing a 7-3 lead.
Benefield's second home run of the game – a colossal blast that went more than 405 feet to straight-away center field – staked Middle Tennessee to an 8-3 advantage in the sixth. It marked the first time a Blue Raider has hit two home run in a game since Kevin Dupree did it last year in the first game of a double header against Charlotte.
Middle Tennessee tacked on one run in the seventh to claim the 9-3 win.
The Blue Raiders will play host to Marshall for a three-game C-USA series this weekend.
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