Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
UT Martin
MT treks to UT Martin
4/21/2014 3:46:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee (7-39) continues its eight-game road swing with a single game against instate foe UT Martin (23-22-1) April 22 at the Bettye Giles Softball Field with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
The Blue Raiders are fresh off a two-game series with Chattanooga April 18-19. MT lost its game Friday, 9-3, after the Lady Mocs scored in each of the first four innings. Laura Dukes helped Middle Tennessee take an early two-run lead after hitting a blast over the left field fence. Despite going 1-for-7 in the two games, Dukes still boasts a team-high .373 batting average and is second on the team with four home runs.
In the second contest, the Blue Raiders grabbed a three-run lead through three and half innings but ultimately lost after allowing a four-run sixth inning. Samantha Nieves and Nina Dever each finished 2-for-4, while LaRi Mitchell tallied a single in the third to extend her hitting streak to 15 games.
UT Martin hosts the Blue Raiders with a 23-22-1 record and is 1-4 in its last five games. The Skyhawks boast an 8-5 record at home this season but MT holds the 13-2-1 series lead when playing in Martin.
As a team, the Skyhawks manage a slightly higher batting average than Middle Tennessee, accumulating a .256 average compared to MT's .253. Offensively, four players have a .300 average or higher. Kayla Wade has started all 46 games and has a .322 average, while leading the team with 47 hits, three triples and 25 runs. Deven Wilson has a team-high 21 RBI and is one of nine players that have double-digit RBI totals.
Elizabeth Wiegand leads UT Martin inside the circle, tallying a 10-6 record in 25 appearances with 20 games started. Weigand has 10 complete games with three shutouts, while working 124.1 innings with a team-high 65 strikeouts. Three other Skyhawk pitchers have tallied wins this season, which include Casey Vincent and her 6-7 record. Vincent is second on the team in innings pitched (89), complete games (seven) and strikeouts (61).
Live stats will be available by visiting GoBlueRaiders.com and follow @MT_Softball on Twitter for updates.
