Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Temple
Blue Raiders 1-1 in Day One of Wildcat Tourney
2/16/2007 8:17:00 PM | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. - Middle Tennessee softball (2-5) scored 22 runs in its first two games Friday at the Worth Wildcat Tournament to split the first day of action. The Blue Raiders lost their opening game 11-10 against Virginia and followed up with a 12-11 victory over Temple.
Both games were edge of the seat, nail-biting affairs in which the participants and fans wouldn't know the outcome until the last frame. And it took the last inning of each game to determine the winner. Middle Tennessee was on the losing end of a Virginia rally in the first game and returned the favor against Temple in the second.
Middle Tennessee had to bounce back quickly after its heart-wrenching loss to Virginia as the club turned around to face Temple. The Owls circled early on the shell-shocked Blue Raiders and posted an early 4-0 lead.
Temple got its first run in the opening inning thanks to a solo homerun by Adrienne Repsher off Blue Raider hurler Lindsey Vander Lugt. In the second inning, after Vander Lugt gave up her second homerun of the game to Temple's Courtney Norene she was replaced by sophomore Sam Floyd. Norene wouldn't play favorites as she hit her second run of the game off Floyd to give Temple a 4-0 lead.
It took until the bottom of the third inning, but Middle Tennessee's bats finally woke up. It all started with Shelby Stiner, who hit a single past second base and then stole her second base of the season. After Justine Cerda drew a one out walk, to place runners at first and second, junior Katie Mielke pulled the Blue Raiders within one run hitting a three RBI homerun - her second long-ball of the season.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Temple added its fifth run of the game when Repsher hit her second homerun of the game.
Middle Tennessee took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. After singles by Mielke and Muriel Ledbetter, Floyd hit her first homerun of the season to give the Blue Raiders a 6-5 lead.
Temple took the lead back in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly RBI by Jessica Rohn.
The seesaw affair continued when Middle Tennessee answered yet again in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs. Pinch runner Cailtlin McLure was on third and scored the first run of the inning off a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Whitney Darlington hit a two RBI single to score Floyd and Ledbetter. Martha Davis scored the fourth run of the inning off a Temple miscue.
Middle Tennessee looked to have the game in hand, leading 10-6 going into the top of the seventh inning, but Temple had some fight left. The Owls scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning, which included the third homerun of the game by Norene, to take an 11-10 lead.
Middle Tennessee fought back yet again and this time it paid off. For the second time in the game, Stiner began the scoring, this time drawing a lead off walk. Ashley Cline had a sacrifice bunt to advance Stiner to second but a Temple error allowed Cline to reach first. Justine Cerda's RBI single not only scored Stiner, but it tied the game. Mielke hit the game winner when her single to left center scored Cline for the game clinching run.
Floyd took the win and improves to 1-2 on the season. Cerda and Mieilke led the team going 3-for-4. Mielke also had four RBI and scored two runs.
Middle Tennessee returns to action on Saturday in the second day of action at the Worth Wildcat Tournament. The Blue Raiders play Texas Tech at 2 p.m. and No. 4 Arizona at 6 p.m.
NOTES: Katie Mielke hit her second homerun of the season and now has four for her career ... Sam Floyd also hit her first homerun of the season against Temple and also picked up her first win on the mound ... Mielke's four RBI against Temple are the most by a Blue Raider this season ... The Blue Raiders are now 1-0 over Temple ... Middle Tennessee had a season-high two homeruns against Temple ... The Blue Raiders are now 1-1 in one run games, falling earlier in the day to Virginia 11-10 ... It is the first time this season the Blue Raiders have hit a homerun and won the game.
