Baseball Sweeps Memphis with 10-6 Win

Wednesday, March 13

Memphis, TN

2:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Memphis

3/13/2002 5:36:00 PM | Baseball

By: MT Media Relations

The Blue Raiders (10-4) came to Memphis (3-8) riding a wave of doubt due to three straight poor defensive performances, but the team leaves the Bluff City with a sweep of the struggling Tigers and a newfound optimism after a 10-6 win on Wednesday afternoon. Freshman Danny Borne hurled the final 4-2/3 innings in relief of starter Travis Horschel to pick up his first win of the year and Justin Sims provided the offensive pop with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate. The Blue Raiders struck first with two runs in the top of the first when Sims drove Chuck Akers home with an RBI single. Brett Carroll made it 2-0 with an RBI single of his own that chased Nate Jaggers across. The Tigers rallied for a run in the bottom of the first and then chased Horschel with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. From that point, though, it was all Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders backed Borne's solid effort on the mound with a three-run outburst in the fifth that was keyed by a leadoff double from Akers. Akers promptly stole third and came in on a Jaggers single to left. Sims then singled and Carroll finished the job with a 2-RBI single. The Tigers tried to get back in the game with a run in the fifth, but it would not be enough. The Blue Raiders kept the game in control before breaking out again in the seventh. The Blue Raiders plated three runs in the inning to take command and a two-run homer from Chad Cooper in the top of the ninth iced the win. Back-to-back homers from Ryan Martin and Josh Payne gave the Tigers a lift in the bottom of the ninth, but Borne rallied to shut the door in the face of the home standing Tigers and preserved the Middle Tennessee win. The Blue Raiders will take off on Thursday, but will complete a stretch of seven games in eight days with a three-game series against Southwest Missouri beginning on Friday.