Stiner's Homerun Lifts Blue Raiders to 4-3 Win over Lipscomb

Friday, February 24

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

4:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Lipscomb

2/24/2006 8:14:00 PM | Softball

By: MT Media Relations

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee softball (2-6) defeated Lipscomb (1-6) 4-3 in the first day of the MT Strikeout Breast Cancer Classic Friday at Star Plex. "We have been in a lot of close games already this season and I think the team is getting a lot of experience during pressure situations," said Head Coach Leigh Podlesny. "This is the first time we have truly closed out a game and I am proud of the team." The Blue Raiders tied their season high with 10 hits in the opening game of the home tournament and also scored the most runs in one inning when the club plated four runs in the third. Junior Trish White got her second consecutive start on the mound as the Blue Raiders faced off against the Bison. After two scoreless innings, Lipscomb struck first in the top of the third inning. Julia Davidson led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI single by Alysha Forsythe. The bottom of the third inning was when Middle Tennessee unleashed on the Bison and it all started with Shelby Stiner. With one out, shortstop Stiner hit her first homerun as a Blue Raider, and the second for the club this season, to tie the game at one. Michelle Wilkes and Justine Cerda followed with back-to-back singles and then advanced to second and third on a ground out by Samantha Floyd. Wilkes gave the Blue Raiders the lead when she scored from third on a wild pitch by Lipscomb's Sara Meek. After Muriel Ledbetter drew a walk, White hit an RBI single that scored Cerda. Middle Tennessee picked up its fourth run of the inning off a double by pinch hitter Katie Mielke that plated Ledbetter. In the same play, Mielke attempted to move to third while White was wavering between third and home and White was tagged for the third out of the inning. Lipscomb would score two runs in the top of the fourth inning to make things interesting down the stretch. With two outs, the Bisons' Niki Bails hit a two RBI single to pull Lipscomb within one run. White closed out the game for the Blue Raiders after Laura Moore came in for one inning, and picked up her first win of the season. She improves to 1-2, going six inning allowing nine hits and three runs. Stiner led the Blue Raiders going 2-for-3 with one run scored and an RBI. Middle Tennessee had five extra base hits in the game and eight of the 10 players who came to bat picked up a hit. Middle Tennessee returns to action on Saturday when the Blue Raiders face UT-Martin at 1 p.m. and Syracuse University at 3 p.m.