Roberts guides Blue Raiders 10-5 over FIU

Friday, April 9

Reese Smith Jr Field

6:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Florida International

Photo by: Bradley Lambert

4/9/2010 9:45:00 PM | Baseball

By: MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Senior Kenneth Roberts got back on track Friday night after recent struggles on the mound guiding the Blue Raiders to a 10-5 win over FIU. Roberts improved to 2-2 on the season after allowing five runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings of work. "I thought Kenny was the guy. Obviously we got him a cushion with the big inning but the inning (6th) when they hit the line drive back at him I thought was the game changer. It was a bullet and that has been when he comes a part but he maintained his composure. In the eighth, he got the strikeout which was a huge out but then he left the ball up and was getting tired so we brought in Hunter," head coach Steve Peterson said. "He pitched like the Kenny Roberts of old but I still don't think he's as sharp as he can be because he got a win. He's got to get sharper but I thought he did a good job against the top hitting team in the Sun Belt." Junior Hunter Dawson worked 1.2 innings in relief allowing just one hit in the outing. Offensively, the Blue Raiders were led by junior Will Skinner who went 2 for 5 with two home runs and four RBI. Seniors Zach Hudson and Blake McDade and sophomore Justin Guidry also posted two hits in the game with McDade driving in two runs. As a team, Middle Tennessee had 11 hits on the night with two doubles and three home runs. FIU scored first after a sacrifice fly to centerfield taking a 1-0 lead in the first. Middle Tennessee put its first runs on the board in the second after a throwing error and a groundout, 2-1. Skinner hit a three-run home run, on a 3-2 count, to left field breaking open the game for the Blue Raiders in the third, 5-1. A single up the middle by McDade with the bases loaded added two more runs for Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders took a 7-1 lead after scoring five runs on five hits. FIU added two runs on three cutting the Blue Raider lead to four in the fourth, 7-3. Miller and Skinner each hit solo shots in the bottom of the fourth adding to the Blue Raider total. The Blue Raiders will be back in action at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 in the second game of the series with FIU. CSS will carry the game as the Sun Belt Game of the Week.