Blue Raiders rally to victory

Saturday, March 20

Jonesboro, Ark.

1:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Arkansas State (DH)

3/20/2010 4:51:00 PM | Baseball

By: Athletic Communications

JONESBORO, Ark. - After falling behind 4-0 early, Middle Tennessee rallied to win the first game of the doubleheader Saturday at Arkansas State, 8-5. The Blue Raiders, who scored seven of their eight runs with two outs recorded in the inning, had nine hitters notch at least one hit on the way to outhitting the Red Wolves 16-10. Justin Miller starred at the plate by going 3-5, knocking in three runs and scoring twice. Tyler Burnett was also 3-5 with a run and an RBI and Zach Hudson was 2-4 with two runs scored and a walk. Tyler Acker and Stuart Meinhart each went 2-5. Hunter Adkins started for the Blue Raiders, but pitched just two and one-third innings, allowing four runs and five hits while walking four. Justin Guidry pitched three and one-third strong innings and allowed just a single run. Nick Montgomery earned his fifth win of the season and gave up just two hits and a walk in the final three and one-third innings. The Red Wolves put up a pair of runs in the first. Michael Faulkner opened up the frame with a walk, and after a Giovanni Garcia out, Todd Baumgartner and Murray Watts hit consecutive singles to score Faulkner. Ryan Emery followed up with a single of his own to bring home Baumgartner. ASU tacked on two more runs in the third. Baumgartner and Watts led off with consecutive walks, and Emery hit into a fielder's choice to advance Baumgartner to third. Jordan Castaldo singled through the right side, narrowly missing a diving McDade, to plate Baumgartner and chase Adkins from the game. Guidry took over relief duties, and gave up a sacrifice fly to Kyle DeGrace, which scored Emery to put the Red Wolves up 4-0 after three. Middle Tennessee cut the deficit to one with three runs in the fourth. Hudson reached with a one-out single and stole second. After a Guidry out, Meinhart appeared to groundout to end the inning, but ASU shortstop Jordan Kimball overthrew first base, allowing Hudson to score and Meinhart to advance to second. Miller followed up with a double to left center to plate Meinhart, and a Ryan Ford single brought Miller home. The Blue Raiders tied the game in the fifth with another two-out rally. Bryce Brentz reached on a walk, and after a line out by Hudson, Guidry singled to push Brentz across the plate. Middle Tennessee took their first lead of the game in the sixth. Burnett reached on a two-out single up the middle, and stole second. Acker followed up by singling to left to score Burnett to put the Blue Raiders up 5-4. The Red Wolves answered with a run to even the score in the bottom of the sixth. Kimball reached on a single, and a two-out single by Giovanni Garcia brought him home. Middle Tennessee regained the lead in the eighth, Miller led off with a triple off the wall in right center and scored on a single up the middle by Burnett. The Blue Raiders added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Hudson earned a two-out walk, and Guidry reached after being hit by a pitch. Meinhart loaded the bases with an infield single, and Miller single to plate both Guidry and Hudson. Middle Tennessee will pitch Chad Edwards in the rubber game of the series this afternoon.