Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Wednesday, March 22
Nashville, Tenn.
6:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
at
Tennessee State
Softball Heads to TSU for Midweek Matchup
3/21/2017 2:00:00 PM | Softball
Game Notes | Live Stats
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – On Wednesday, March 22 the Middle Tennessee softball team (10-13) travels to Nashville for a single game at Tennessee State (7-15). Game time is set for 6pm at Tiger Field.
The two teams are familiar opponents having faced each other 50 times in program history with the Raiders holding a commanding 43-7 all-time record against the Tigers. Middle has won the last four meetings, all in shutout fashion.
MT and TSU last played on March 30, 2016 in Nashville, where the Raiders won 1-0. Kelci Cheney recorded the complete game shutout, striking out six. Middle's game-winning run came in the fourth as Morgan Harris led off with an infield single before stealing second. Austyn Whaley then ripped a base hit just over the outstretched glove of Joselynn Yates at second base to score Harris.
The Raiders come into the mid-week contest following a 1-2 weekend in El Paso, Texas against conference rival UTEP. The Miners won the opening and closing games of the weekend, 7-6 and 10-7 with MT taking game two, 5-2.
The series saw the Raider bats come alive for 17 runs on 33 hits, hitting .367 on the weekend. Lexi Cushing and Keely McGee each went 4-for-7 with an RBI while Kristin Uselton was 5-for-10 and had a team-leading six RBI to go with a triple and a home run. Harris also had a home run in the series while driving in four runs.
Precious Birdsong was 5-for-10 on the weekend as well, to move her season batting average up to .452, third-best in the conference.
The Raider pitching staff struggled in the three-game series, giving up 17 earned runs on 32 hits. However, the staff did strikeout 12 while walking just two. Gretchen Greer recorded the lone win in the circle to move to 4-2 on the year.
Tennessee State enters the contest having not played a game since March 12 when the Tigers had a comeback extra innings, 10-9, win over Samford. The game was played in the Leon Smith Classic hosted by Southeast Missouri. The Tigers went 3-2 in the tournament, posting the other two wins over Alabama A&M (11-1) and Loyola (3-1).
Selena Crafton leads TSU at the plate with a .354 batting average on the season, paired with three doubles and nine RBI. Danica Gleason has a team-high 12 RBI to go with three doubles, a triple and a home run. Kim Trice has another one of just four Tiger home runs on the year, along with eight RBI.
The Tigers are a speedy bunch, with 46 stolen bases through their 22 games, ranking in the nation's top 20 in stolen bases per game. Crafton leads the way with 12 steals while Courtney Gearlds has 11.
As a staff, the Tiger pitching boasts a 5.21 ERA. Amanda Cabrera posts the team's lowest with a 3.89 in 18 innings of action. Lauren Powell, who the Raiders faced the last time the two teams met, comes into the game with a 4.76 ERA and a team-high 39 strikeouts in 42.2 innings in the circle.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – On Wednesday, March 22 the Middle Tennessee softball team (10-13) travels to Nashville for a single game at Tennessee State (7-15). Game time is set for 6pm at Tiger Field.
The two teams are familiar opponents having faced each other 50 times in program history with the Raiders holding a commanding 43-7 all-time record against the Tigers. Middle has won the last four meetings, all in shutout fashion.
MT and TSU last played on March 30, 2016 in Nashville, where the Raiders won 1-0. Kelci Cheney recorded the complete game shutout, striking out six. Middle's game-winning run came in the fourth as Morgan Harris led off with an infield single before stealing second. Austyn Whaley then ripped a base hit just over the outstretched glove of Joselynn Yates at second base to score Harris.
The Raiders come into the mid-week contest following a 1-2 weekend in El Paso, Texas against conference rival UTEP. The Miners won the opening and closing games of the weekend, 7-6 and 10-7 with MT taking game two, 5-2.
The series saw the Raider bats come alive for 17 runs on 33 hits, hitting .367 on the weekend. Lexi Cushing and Keely McGee each went 4-for-7 with an RBI while Kristin Uselton was 5-for-10 and had a team-leading six RBI to go with a triple and a home run. Harris also had a home run in the series while driving in four runs.
Precious Birdsong was 5-for-10 on the weekend as well, to move her season batting average up to .452, third-best in the conference.
The Raider pitching staff struggled in the three-game series, giving up 17 earned runs on 32 hits. However, the staff did strikeout 12 while walking just two. Gretchen Greer recorded the lone win in the circle to move to 4-2 on the year.
Tennessee State enters the contest having not played a game since March 12 when the Tigers had a comeback extra innings, 10-9, win over Samford. The game was played in the Leon Smith Classic hosted by Southeast Missouri. The Tigers went 3-2 in the tournament, posting the other two wins over Alabama A&M (11-1) and Loyola (3-1).
Selena Crafton leads TSU at the plate with a .354 batting average on the season, paired with three doubles and nine RBI. Danica Gleason has a team-high 12 RBI to go with three doubles, a triple and a home run. Kim Trice has another one of just four Tiger home runs on the year, along with eight RBI.
The Tigers are a speedy bunch, with 46 stolen bases through their 22 games, ranking in the nation's top 20 in stolen bases per game. Crafton leads the way with 12 steals while Courtney Gearlds has 11.
As a staff, the Tiger pitching boasts a 5.21 ERA. Amanda Cabrera posts the team's lowest with a 3.89 in 18 innings of action. Lauren Powell, who the Raiders faced the last time the two teams met, comes into the game with a 4.76 ERA and a team-high 39 strikeouts in 42.2 innings in the circle.
Players Mentioned
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INF/OF
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