Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Sunday, May 1
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
12PM
Middle Tennessee
23-28, 0
3
vs
8
Charlotte
31-21, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R
H
E
Charlotte
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
5
8
11
2
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
4
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: BETANCOURT, Lexi (19-14)
L: Taylor, Pattie Ruth (5-6)
Batting:
2B: RHONEY, Bailey 2 ; BYRNE, Taylar 1
3B: POWERS, Erin 1
RBI: RHONEY, Bailey 1 ; PACE, Haley 1 ; HARRIS, Meredith 2 ; BYRNE, Taylar 2 ; POWERS, Erin 2
SH: BYRNE, Taylar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: OCKER, Emma 2 ; RHONEY, Bailey 1 ; PACE, Haley 2 ; HARRIS, Meredith 1 ; BIRCH, Lizzy 1 ; PAULSON, Alex 1
HBP: BIRCH, Lizzy 1
Batting:
RBI: Jenkins, Carlie 1 ; Griffith, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Birdsong, Precious 2 ; Jenkins, Carlie 1
SB: Birdsong, Precious 2 ; Jenkins, Carlie 1 ; Griffith, Megan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball1B/OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballRaiders fight valiantly, but fall on Senior Day
5/1/2016 4:13:00 PM | Softball
MT falls 8-3 in 10 innings to Charlotte, drop series finale
MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee (23-28) scrapped hard all day and took Charlotte (31-21) to 10 innings, but the 49ers came away with an 8-3 win Sunday to sweep the series with the Raiders.
All four seniors got in the stat sheet on Senior Day as Carlie Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and two walks. Megan Griffith made several nice plays at short and earned an RBI as she went 0-for-5 at the plate. Randi Cookus got the started at designated player and went 1-for-4 on the afternoon. Kelci Cheney earned her final start at Blue Raider Softball Field and was strong in 5.0 innings as she allowed just three runs on six hits and struck out three.
The game began slow as there was only one base runner in the first two innings. In the top of the third Bailey Rhoney doubled to left center to score Emma Ocker with the game's first run and Charlotte had a 1-0 lead after three innings.
With two out in the top of the fourth Erin Powers tripled down the line in right and Lizzy Birch came around to score to put the 49ers up 2-0.
The Raiders came right back in the bottom half as Griffith reached on an error as Charlotte first base Meredith Harris was deemed to have come off the bag a little early. The error allowed Precious Birdsong to score and Jenkins to move to third. On the following pitch Griffith and Jenkins executed the double steal as Jenkins stole home to tie the game 2-2 after the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, again with two outs, Meredith Harris singled home Haley Pace to put the 49ers up 3-2. But MT quickly answered again in the bottom half Birdsong scored on a Jenkins single and tied the game 3-3.
It then became a pitcher's duel as Charlotte starter Lexi Betancourt and Raider reliever Pattie Taylor matched either for four straight shutout innings. Taylor retired the first 12 49ers she faced as Betancourt allowed only a walk and a hit in four consecutive innings to take the game into the 10th.
Charlotte got their bats going in the top of the inning as Ocker singled and Rhoney doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no one out. Pace then reached on a fielder's choice to allow Ocker to score the go-ahead run. Two batters later Meredith Harris singled home Rhoney and the lead blossomed to 5-3. After another ground out Taylar Byrne doubled to allow Pace and Meredith Harris to cross the plate and Powers followed with a single that plated pinch runner Alex Paulson. The 49ers had blown the game open late as they now led 8-3.
In the bottom of the 10th Jenkins earned a lead-off walk, but the rally fizzled and MT lost their eighth straight.
With the loss the Raiders are now mathematically eliminated from Conference USA tournament contention, but they do have one series left. They travel to Miami to take on FIU with a double header to begin Saturday at 4 p.m. before the season finale Sunday.
All four seniors got in the stat sheet on Senior Day as Carlie Jenkins went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and two walks. Megan Griffith made several nice plays at short and earned an RBI as she went 0-for-5 at the plate. Randi Cookus got the started at designated player and went 1-for-4 on the afternoon. Kelci Cheney earned her final start at Blue Raider Softball Field and was strong in 5.0 innings as she allowed just three runs on six hits and struck out three.
The game began slow as there was only one base runner in the first two innings. In the top of the third Bailey Rhoney doubled to left center to score Emma Ocker with the game's first run and Charlotte had a 1-0 lead after three innings.
With two out in the top of the fourth Erin Powers tripled down the line in right and Lizzy Birch came around to score to put the 49ers up 2-0.
The Raiders came right back in the bottom half as Griffith reached on an error as Charlotte first base Meredith Harris was deemed to have come off the bag a little early. The error allowed Precious Birdsong to score and Jenkins to move to third. On the following pitch Griffith and Jenkins executed the double steal as Jenkins stole home to tie the game 2-2 after the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, again with two outs, Meredith Harris singled home Haley Pace to put the 49ers up 3-2. But MT quickly answered again in the bottom half Birdsong scored on a Jenkins single and tied the game 3-3.
It then became a pitcher's duel as Charlotte starter Lexi Betancourt and Raider reliever Pattie Taylor matched either for four straight shutout innings. Taylor retired the first 12 49ers she faced as Betancourt allowed only a walk and a hit in four consecutive innings to take the game into the 10th.
Charlotte got their bats going in the top of the inning as Ocker singled and Rhoney doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no one out. Pace then reached on a fielder's choice to allow Ocker to score the go-ahead run. Two batters later Meredith Harris singled home Rhoney and the lead blossomed to 5-3. After another ground out Taylar Byrne doubled to allow Pace and Meredith Harris to cross the plate and Powers followed with a single that plated pinch runner Alex Paulson. The 49ers had blown the game open late as they now led 8-3.
In the bottom of the 10th Jenkins earned a lead-off walk, but the rally fizzled and MT lost their eighth straight.
With the loss the Raiders are now mathematically eliminated from Conference USA tournament contention, but they do have one series left. They travel to Miami to take on FIU with a double header to begin Saturday at 4 p.m. before the season finale Sunday.
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