Raiders Record First Ever C-USA Sweep with 5-2 Win Over UTEP

Sunday, April 29

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

12 PM

Middle Tennessee

34-18, 0

UTEP

18-31, 0

UTEP

Middle Tennessee

4/29/2018 4:02:00 PM | Softball

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team picked up their first ever Conference USA series sweep as they defeated UTEP 5-2 today. The win came on MT's senior day.

Not only was the series sweep MT's first ever in C-USA it was the first for Head Coach Jeff Breeden. The program's last sweep was in 2011 over North Texas when the Raiders played in the Sun Belt.

MT improves to 34-18 on the year, matching the win mark from the 2004 season. The Raiders are also now 11-9 in conference play, which is the most wins in conference play since 2008, when MT was a member of the Sun Belt.

Cori Jennings returned to the circle for game three, starting her third on the weekend. She was lights out again, allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out another three in her 18^th win of the year. She is tied for the most wins in the conference.

Morgan Harris pushed the Raiders out an early 3-0 lead. After Summer Burgess and Precious Birdsong got aboard with hits, Harris sent a home run to left center field. Her third home run of the year drove in her 105^th, 106^th and 107^thRBI of her career. The mark set a new career record for RBI at Middle Tennessee.

The home team added another run in the second. Danielle Munoz leadoff with a single to left. MT then loaded the bases as Kirstyn Cuccia reached on an error and Burgess walked. Birdsong then grounded out but it allowed Munoz to score to put the Raiders ahead, 4-0.

The Miners countered with a run in the next frame. After a Blue Raider error, UTEP loaded the bases with a single to right center and an infield bunt. A fielder's choice off the bat of Courtney Clayton scored the unearned run for UTEP. Jennings earned a strikeout to keep UTEP from doing any more damage in the inning.

In the fifth, the Raiders added another insurance run. Birdsong got aboard on an error and Kristin Uselton moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt. Another bunt followed as Harris initiated the squeeze play. Birdsong used her speed to slide headfirst across to put MT up, 5-1.

The Miners tried to stage a comeback in the seventh as Taylor Sargent leadoff with a double. She was able to tag up on a sacrifice fly to score, making it a 5-2 game. However, Jennings continued her powerhouse performance pitching into two groundouts to give MT the win and series sweep.

Up Next

The Raiders will return to action for their final conference series of the year on Saturday, May 5. MT travels to Huntington, W.V. to face Marshall in a three-game series. It gets underway with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon and concludes with a single game on Sunday, May 6 at 11am.