Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama
Jaggers Single in the 13th Gives Raiders 6-5 Victory
4/22/2005 11:22:00 PM | Baseball
The Blue Raiders held a 5-2 lead heading into the ninth before the visiting Jaguars scored three times, all with two outs, to send the game into extra innings.
Neither team threatened until Middle Tennessee (19-15, 5-4 Sun Belt) caught a break, with Darby reaching to leadoff the inning on an error. After a stolen base, USA's Chase Christianson retired two batters but then walked two straight to load the bases for Jaggers.
The senior hit a 1-1 pitch off the end of the bat and in front of the left and centerfielder for the Jaguars (24-17, 8-5), plating the winning run for Middle Tennessee's fourth straight victory.
Both teams used just two pitchers, with Allan Woodward (3-1) picking up the win with 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits. Christianson (2-4) was the unlucky loser, giving up the unearned run in 4.1 innings, walking five and striking out three.
The Jaguars got on the board first after Quendon Montgomery led off with a double into leftcenter. Jeff Cunningham followed with a single just in front of a diving Chase Eakes in leftfield, and a single through the middle from Joel Collins plated the run for a 1-0 USA lead.
The Blue Raiders took the lead in the bottom of the inning thanks to some wildness from USA starter Jeramy Simmons.
Darby started the rally with a two-out single to center, moving to third when the throw from the outfield ended up on the steps of the Blue Raider dugout. Eakes drew a walk and Josh Archer was hit to load the bases.
Eric McNamee drew another walk, forcing in a run, before a bases-clearing double down the leftfield line from Nathan Hines made it 4-1 for the home team.
Marcus Taylor and Michael McKenry both singled to lead off the second, and Taylor scored on a doubleplay for a 5-1 Blue Raiders lead.
USA used three singles in the fifth to plate a run, the final one just past the diving Jaggers at third base off the bat of Jeff Morris.
Neither team could muster any offense until the Jaguars mounted a rally in the ninth.
David Freese led off with a single and Cunningham singled with one out. Pinch-hitter Ryan Nichols drove in a run with a single through the leftside before the big blow, a two-run triple down the rightfield line from another pinch-hitter, Aaron George, tying the contest at five.
Middle Tennessee's Matt Scott deserved better, giving up five runs on 13 hits in 8.2 innings. Scott walked one and struck out three.
Simmons settled down after a shaky inning in the second, not allowing a hit from the third until the eighth. The righthander gave up five runs on seven hits, walking six and striking out seven.
The two teams play again Saturday at 2 p.m. on Old Timers Day, with former Blue Raider Kenny Gerhart set to throw out the first pitch.
