MT Drops Two Heartbreakers to UAB

Friday, March 30

Birmingham, Ala.

3 PM

Middle Tennessee

23-11, 5-5

UAB

12-21-1, 4-2-1

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

UAB

3/30/2018 9:20:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score Game 1 Play-by-Play Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Play-by-Play Game 2 Season Stats C-USA Stats

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Middle Tennessee Softball team dropped both sides of a doubleheader to UAB on Friday afternoon. The two contests were each decided by just one run as the Blazers scooped up a 3-2 and 1-0 win over the Raiders.

Middle is now 23-12, 5-6 on the year while UAB improves to 13-21-1, 5-2-1 as the Blazers take the series.

Game One: UAB 3, MT 2

The Blue Raiders got on the board in the first inning of game one. Precious Birdsong reached base on a bunt single and came around to score as Morgan Harris launched a double over the head of the left fielder. Her sixth double of the year gave MT a 1-0 lead.

The lead did not last long as the Blazers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Natalie Erwin sent a double of her own to right centerfield and scored on a Blue Raider error.

Then in the bottom of the third, the Blazers struck for two runs. An infield single and a walk put two on with no outs for UAB. Then Rachel Rogers registered a single to right field and Sarah Crawford followed with a single up the middle. Both plays scored a run to give UAB a 3-1 lead.

The Blue Raiders threatened to score in the top of the fifth as they got the bases loaded with no outs. Kirstyn Cuccia reached on an infield hit, Claire Smith got aboard on an error and Summer Burgess laid down a bunt to put three on. After a fly out to shallow left, MT sent a fly ball to right. However, it was caught and the Blazers made a play at the plate to keep Middle off the scoreboard.

In the sixth, MT had a chance again to chip away at the UAB lead. Keely McGee hit a two out triple off the fence in centerfield, but next at bat was a pop up to the third baseman to end the inning.

Searching for a comeback, Cuccia led off the seventh inning with a solo home run over the right centerfield fence. The one run would ended up being all the Blue Raiders could muster, falling 3-2 to the Blazers.

Cori Jennings picked up the loss in the circle, falling to 10-6 on the year. She struck out one in the complete game effort.

McGee had two hits in the game, both for extra bases while Cuccia and Harris earned the two Blue Raider RBI.

Game Two: UAB 1, MT 0 (8)

Game two of the series was a pitcher's duel with just eight total hits before the game went into extra innings.

Both teams had their chances in the regulation seven innings. Summer Burgess had two singles, one in the first and another in the fourth but she was left stranded both times.

Kristin Uselton had a single in the fifth inning but the Blue Raiders were unable to push her around the base path as well.

The Blazers got a runner to third base in the second inning and the fifth. In the second, it was due to a Blue Raider error but MT was able to keep UAB off the board with a trio of ground outs. In the fifth, the Blazers had a leadoff triple from starting pitcher, Claire Blount. MT worked out of the jam though with a ground out and a strikeout.

In the seventh, UAB threatened to score the first runs of the game as they got the bases loaded. MT worked to get two outs and a fielder's choice collected by Claire Smith forced the game into extras.

Amber Baldwin had three strikeouts in the game as she went the complete game for the Blue Raiders. She ended up taking the loss, falling to 8-4 on the year.

That loss came in the bottom of the eighth. MT had a chance in the top half of the frame as Danielle Munoz got on with an error and Cuccia followed with a single on the right field line. Both Raiders moved up on a wild pitch but a ground out and two line outs to third base kept MT off the scoreboard.

UAB started their side of extras by loading the bases once again. A single to right center, a Blue Raider error and a single to left with just one out but momentum in the Blazer's favor. Molli Garcia then delivered a single to centerfield for the 1-0 victory.

Up Next

Middle Tennessee returns to play UAB for the series finale tomorrow, Saturday, March 31. The game is slated for a 1pm first pitch from Mary Bowers Stadium.