Raiders Fall at UT-Martin, 5-3

Wednesday, March 29

Martin, Tenn.

4:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

10-18

UT Martin

24-8

Middle Tennessee

UT Martin

3/29/2017 7:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score season Season Stats

MARTIN, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team traveled to play at UT-Martin in a midweek contest on Wednesday, March 29. The Raiders had two double plays, as well as getting both outs of a double steal while Keely McGee launched her third home run, a two-run shot but UT-Martin took the game, 5-3. Middle falls to 10-18 on the year while the Skyhawks move to 24-8.

The scoring in the game got started in the bottom of the second as the Skyhawks took a 2-0 lead. The inning began with a hit by pitch and a stolen base. Then three singles, two to left and one to right center, allowed UTM to score two runs.

The Raiders were able to halt the UTM rally and get out of the jam by retiring two base runners as the Skyhawks go for the double steal. Morgan Harris, the catcher, fired to Summer Burgess at short to catch the runner at second and Burgess sent it back home to get the runner coming from third.

The Raiders got another two outs on a double play in the bottom of the third. The Skyhawks were threatening again with runners on first and second. Kristin Uselton fielded a ball at third and tossed it to Samanatha Vacko at second who threw it to Danielle Munoz at first to get the final out the inning.

MT got on the board in the top of the fourth. Precious Birdsong was walked to lead off and moved to second on a ground out. Uselton then smacked a ball through the hole between third and short to bring Birdsong around to score. Up next, Keely McGee crushed her third home run of the year on the first pitch of her at bat over the wall in right field to give Middle a 3-2 lead.

The Raider lead did not last long as UTM came back in the bottom half of the inning. Two leadoff singles through the hole in left put runners on. Then, a fielder's choice with an error allowed one run to come across. Another came across on a ground out to short and a single up the middle made it 5-3 in favor of the Skyhawks.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders pulled off another double play. Burgess fielded the ball at short and stepped on the bag at second before sending it across to Munoz at first.

Down by two, the Raiders started the top of the seventh with a single to left center from Munoz. A double play for UTM on a ball hit back to the pitcher followed by a ground out to second ended MT's chance to erase the deficit, falling 5-3.

Pattie Ruth Taylor took the loss in the circle to move to 1-1 on the season. She pitched five innings and surrendered just one earned run.

The Raiders return to action this weekend for a three game conference series at LA Tech. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday beginning at 2pm with a single game to wrap up the series on Sunday at 1pm.