Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Troy
Blue Raiders Fall to Troy 4-1 in Sun Belt Championships
5/11/2006 3:29:00 PM | Softball
MIAMI, Fla. - Middle Tennessee softball, the No. 4 seed, (19-41-1) fell in the first round of the Sun Belt Championships 4-1 to No. 5 seed Troy (29-38) Thursday at University Park on the Florida International campus. It was the second consecutive year the Blue Raiders have lost in the first round of the championships.
Starting pitcher Samantha Floyd's two walks in the first and second inning allowed Troy to post crucial runs on just one hit. After Floyd allowed her third walk of the game, with one out, she was replaced by Trish White who struck out two batters to end the Trojan threat.
Troy added two runs in the top of the fourth after Middle Tennessee allowed leadoff batter Heidi Johnson to reach first thanks to a Blue Raider error. A two RBI single by Angela Lopez gave the Trojans a 4-0 lead.
The Blue Raiders had a base runner in the first inning when Melissa Weiland drew a two out single but was stranded when Muriel Ledbetter struck out looking. Shelby Stiner had a two out single in the third inning but was also left hanging when Martha Davis flew out to the second baseman. Middle Tennessee again had a runner with two outs, when White hit a single between first and second, but the Blue Raiders again stranded another base runner when Katie Mielke flew out to centerfield.
Middle Tennessee attempted a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning but could only get one run with bases loaded. Davis led the rally with a fielder's choice and advanced to second when Weiland hit her second single of the game. The bases were full of Blue Raiders when Troy hurler Laine Harcourt hit Ledbetter. White picked up her second hit of the game and plated Davis, to deny Harcourt a shutout, but the Blue Raider rally was halted when Katie Mielke flew out to centerfield and Weiland was tagged out at home.
In the last 31 innings, Middle Tennessee has only scored three runs dating back to its third game with Florida International in the final week of April.
Floyd takes the loss in the game and falls to 2-6 on the season after going 1.1 innings allowing two runs on one hit and walking three. White closed out the game allowing two runs on four hits and struck out four.
Weiland and White accounted for four of the Blue Raiders five hits. Stiner also had a hit for Middle Tennessee which gives her 59 for the season. Stiner is just two hits from taking over sixth place in the Blue Raider record books for hits in a season.
The Blue Raiders will Troy at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the loser's bracket.
