Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, March 9
Murfreesboro, TN
6 PM
Middle Tennessee
8-6
8
vs
7
West Virginia
5-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
West Virginia
0
0
0
4
1
1
1
0
0
7
11
4
Middle Tennessee
6
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
X
8
11
3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wright, Andy (1-0)
L: Ennis, Shane (2-1)
S: Dennis, Austin (1)
Batting:
2B: Inman, Marques 1
HR: Gray, Kyle 1
RBI: Zarbnisky, Braden 2 ; Gonzalez, Ivan 1 ; Hill, Darius 1 ; Gray, Kyle 1 ; Galusky, Jimmy 1 ; White, Brandon 1
SH: Zarbnisky, Braden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zitel, Andrew 1 ; Brophy, Kevin 1 ; Gray, Kyle 2 ; Galusky, Jimmy 2 ; White, Brandon 1
SB: Gonzalez, Ivan 1 ; Hill, Darius 1 ; Zitel, Andrew 1
HBP: Galusky, Jimmy 1
PO: Zarbnisky, Braden 1
Batting:
2B: Woodard, LA 1 ; Christian, Myles 1
HR: Benefield, Blake 1
RBI: Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 3 ; Christian, Myles 2 ; Huff, Drew 1
SF: Kemp, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodard, LA 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1 ; Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Prewett, Darien 1 ; Christian, Myles 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
cf/p
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
OF/IF
/ BaseballOF/IF
/ BaseballOF/IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
MT bests West Virginia after eighth-inning rally
3/9/2018 9:53:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee's first-ever home weekend series game against a Big 12 Conference opponent ended in style Friday.
The Blue Raiders (8-6) welcomed the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-6) to Reese Smith Jr. Field in the first of a three-game weekend tilt and left with a nail-biting 8-7 win thanks to a clutch RBI from a freshman.
"I think we've been really focused coming in right out of the gate, and I think we're going in with a good plan," MT head coach Jim McGuire said. "I think that's what tonight was … getting off to good starts have been big for us."
MT saw a first-inning 6-0 lead dwindle until the score stood tied at seven going into the eighth inning.
Just when it looked like the Blue Raiders' backs were against the wall, freshman sensation Myles Christian came up with maybe the biggest hit of his brief college career.
After sophomore catcher Aaron Antonini was gunned down trying to score, Christian stepped up with one out and junior Darien Prewett at second base. The freshman smashed the first pitch he saw, pulling it down the third base line for a double just out of reach of the outstretched arm of the diving Mountaineer right fielder.
Prewett waltzed home for the winning run, and in the top of the ninth junior Austin Dennis closed things out for his first save of the season.
"When I was on deck, Coach [Tim] Donnelly told me to get my pitch, and I knew my pitch was going to be the first pitch," Christian said. "I've been dreaming about this since I was pretty young. Just having my family there, that was great."
If MT had any jitters about hosting a Big 12 opponent for a weekend series for the first time, it didn't show early on.
The blue and white brought out hot bats, plating six runs in the bottom of the first capped by a three-run home run from junior Blake Benefield that almost cleared the new Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left field.
It was the second straight game with a home run for the Murfreesboro native, who leads the team with five dingers this season.
"I'm just trying to hit the ball hard," Benefield said. "I got lucky again tonight, so I'll just try to keep working and see what happens.
"I knew that one was gone tonight."
The six-run first inning gave the Blue Raider pitching staff plenty to work with.
Junior starter Jake Wyrick breezed through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. He gave up four runs in the inning thanks to five walks and a hit batter and was relieved in the top of the fifth, finishing with four innings pitched, seven strikeouts and six walks.
Wyrick was relieved in the fifth by freshman Zach Keenan, who combined with redshirt junior Blake Stansberry, redshirt sophomore Andy Wright and Dennis to close things out. Wright was credited for the win, his first of the season.
At the dish, Christian added another RBI in the big first inning, bringing him to a 2-for-3 night with a walk, double, run scored and two RBIs.
Junior LA Woodard was 3-for-4 with a double and run scored, and sophomore Aaron Antonini also had a multi-hit night, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Middle Tennessee and West Virginia will take the diamond for the second game of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m.
"They're a tough team to match up with, and I think that's what we've got to sit down and try to figure out," McGuire said. "They've got speed, they've got left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters and they're staggered throughout the lineup. That's the biggest adjustment we have to make, is how are we going to manage our bullpen against their hitters."
The Blue Raiders (8-6) welcomed the West Virginia Mountaineers (5-6) to Reese Smith Jr. Field in the first of a three-game weekend tilt and left with a nail-biting 8-7 win thanks to a clutch RBI from a freshman.
"I think we've been really focused coming in right out of the gate, and I think we're going in with a good plan," MT head coach Jim McGuire said. "I think that's what tonight was … getting off to good starts have been big for us."
MT saw a first-inning 6-0 lead dwindle until the score stood tied at seven going into the eighth inning.
Just when it looked like the Blue Raiders' backs were against the wall, freshman sensation Myles Christian came up with maybe the biggest hit of his brief college career.
After sophomore catcher Aaron Antonini was gunned down trying to score, Christian stepped up with one out and junior Darien Prewett at second base. The freshman smashed the first pitch he saw, pulling it down the third base line for a double just out of reach of the outstretched arm of the diving Mountaineer right fielder.
Prewett waltzed home for the winning run, and in the top of the ninth junior Austin Dennis closed things out for his first save of the season.
"When I was on deck, Coach [Tim] Donnelly told me to get my pitch, and I knew my pitch was going to be the first pitch," Christian said. "I've been dreaming about this since I was pretty young. Just having my family there, that was great."
If MT had any jitters about hosting a Big 12 opponent for a weekend series for the first time, it didn't show early on.
The blue and white brought out hot bats, plating six runs in the bottom of the first capped by a three-run home run from junior Blake Benefield that almost cleared the new Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left field.
It was the second straight game with a home run for the Murfreesboro native, who leads the team with five dingers this season.
"I'm just trying to hit the ball hard," Benefield said. "I got lucky again tonight, so I'll just try to keep working and see what happens.
"I knew that one was gone tonight."
The six-run first inning gave the Blue Raider pitching staff plenty to work with.
Junior starter Jake Wyrick breezed through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. He gave up four runs in the inning thanks to five walks and a hit batter and was relieved in the top of the fifth, finishing with four innings pitched, seven strikeouts and six walks.
Wyrick was relieved in the fifth by freshman Zach Keenan, who combined with redshirt junior Blake Stansberry, redshirt sophomore Andy Wright and Dennis to close things out. Wright was credited for the win, his first of the season.
At the dish, Christian added another RBI in the big first inning, bringing him to a 2-for-3 night with a walk, double, run scored and two RBIs.
Junior LA Woodard was 3-for-4 with a double and run scored, and sophomore Aaron Antonini also had a multi-hit night, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Middle Tennessee and West Virginia will take the diamond for the second game of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m.
"They're a tough team to match up with, and I think that's what we've got to sit down and try to figure out," McGuire said. "They've got speed, they've got left-handed hitters, right-handed hitters and they're staggered throughout the lineup. That's the biggest adjustment we have to make, is how are we going to manage our bullpen against their hitters."
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