Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Belmont
Middle Tennessee Sweeps Belmont in Season Opener
2/18/2004 6:45:00 PM | Softball
Junior Crystal Bobo threw a shutout in her first outing on the mound, as Middle Tennessee blanked Belmont 10-0 in game one. Bobo had 10 strikeouts in the contest, allowing just one walk and two hits.
Senior Cortney Mitchell began the 2004 season like she ended the last as she hit a triple in her first at-bat of the year to send in Katie Tompkins who drew a walk to start the game. Senior Angie Huebner knocked Mitchell home on a two run shot over the right field wall. After a single by Melissa Weiland, Jennifer Dorais sent her home and then was called out trying to advance to third.
With the bases loaded in the third inning, Belmont pitcher Mandy Miles walked Dorais to send in pinch runner Brandy Davis for the fourth run of the game. Middle Tennessee added two more runs in bottom of the fourth off an RBI single by Mitchell and another by Brittany Herald.
Weiland capped off her first game as a Lady Raider softball player with a three run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game. She went 4-for-4 in the game with a homerun and two runs scored.
In the nightcap Middle Tennessee exploded in the second inning with five runs. Huebner and Herald reached on back-to-back singles to begin the inning and Huebner was sent home on a single by freshman Candis Littrell. After Kristina Hieb drew a walk, Davis reached on an error and Herald came home on the errant play. Junior Leah Grothase sent two runners home off an RBI single and Mitchell ended the scoring frenzy when she sent Katie Tompkins off her RBI single.
Belmont answered in the third inning when the Bruins loaded the bases with no outs. Middle Tennessee picked up a double play when Erin Mullen's flew out to left field and then Tara Allen was thrown out at second, but the Bruins did pick up a run as Jennifer Battle scored on the play. Freshman pitcher Ashley Frizzel struck out LeAnna Crandall to end the Belmont threat.
In the bottom of the third, Littrell hit the first homerun of her young career as a Lady Raider to put Middle Tennessee up 6-1. Middle Tennessee scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to close out the game. Mitchell began the inning with a single and scored on a Huebner RBI double. Herald's single sent Huebner home for the second run of the inning and a Littrell double plated pinch runner Christi Benton.
Frizzell took the win as she went four innings allowing two hits, one run and had three strikeouts. Sophomore Dorais picked up the save as she pitched one scoreless inning.
Middle Tennessee returns to action on Saturday when the Lady Raiders travel to Columbia, South Carolina to participate in the South Carolina Invitational.
