Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday, March 28
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
2 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
12-15, 1-9
8
vs
11
UTSA
22-11, 6-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTSA | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| Middle Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: PARKER, Chelsea (8-3)
L: Payne, Lauren (3-4)
S: FREEZE, Kacy (1)
Batting:
2B: BURTON, Kendall 1
3B: OBERG, Taylor 1
HR: TIJERINA, Vivian 1 ; CRAWFORD, Randee 1
RBI: BURTON, Kendall 2 ; LOW, Megan 1 ; TIJERINA, Vivian 2 ; CRAWFORD, Randee 2 ; KINLEY, Madison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BURTON, Kendall 1 ; BUCHMAN, Courtney 2 ; LOW, Megan 3 ; TIJERINA, Vivian 2 ; CRAWFORD, Randee 1 ; OBERG, Taylor 1 ; SMITH, Jade 1
SB: SMITH, Jade 1
HBP: SOEFJE, Tess 3
Batting:
2B: Whaley, Austyn 1 ; Griffith, Megan 1
HR: Harris, Morgan 1
RBI: BIRDSONG, Cor'Nisha 1 ; Harris, Morgan 3 ; Griffith, Megan 2
SH: Cookus, Randi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHADLEY, Marinna 2 ; Whaley, Austyn 1 ; Harris, Morgan 2 ; Cookus, Randi 1 ; Griffith, Megan 1 ; Jenkins, Carlie 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
MT Falls in Both Games to High Powered UTSA
3/28/2015 9:28:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team (12-16, 1-10 C-USA) fell to a high powered UTSA squad (23-13, 7-5 C-USA) in both games Saturday at Blue Raider Softball Field.
MT fell in game one, 11-8, before falling in the second contest, 13-5.
The Roadrunners showed why they are the top offense in Conference USA, scoring 24 runs in two games despite MT scoring 13 runs of its own. The eight runs scored by the Blue Raiders in game one was the most in a conference game this season.
Junior Megan Griffith paced the offense as she went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two doubles on the day, including a career-high three RBIs in game two.
Junior Carlie Jenkins and senior Samantha Nieves both tallied a team-high four hits. Jenkins hit 4-of-7 (.571) after coming into the game with just two hits in the previous four games.
Game 1: UTSA – 11 Middle Tennessee – 8
Neither offense would get it going until the third inning when both teams combined for seven runs.
After scoring three runs in the top of the third frame, MT responded with four runs in bottom half of the inning, which was highlighted by Griffith's pinch hit two-out double to left field that plated freshman Morgan Harris and sophomore Austyn Whaley.
MT would take advantage of a UTSA moments later that brought in Griffith from third to give MT a 4-3 lead.
The Roadrunners came back in the top of the fourth inning and added three runs to retake the lead 6-4. Back-to-back home runs by UTSA in the top of the sixth followed by two more runs in the seventh stretched the lead to seven, 11-4.
However, MT would make things interesting in its final at-bat with two outs.Harris started the rally with her second home run of the year as she sent a two-run shot to left field to bring MT to within five, 11-6.
Two singles by Jenkins and junior Randi Cookus set up freshman Cor'Nisha Birdsong with a single through the right side that drove in Jenkins, just before a throwing error helped Cookus come across the plate to bring the UTSA lead to three, 11-8.
The Blue Raiders looked to keep up the valiant effort and all with two outs as well, but UTSA finally secured the win in the next at-bat recording the final out.
Senior Caitlin McClure fell to 3-4 on the year after putting in 3.1 innings of work and allowing six runs (five earned) and five hits. Sophomore Megan Chocallo saw 2.1 innings of action to allow three runs on three hits, while freshman Makenzie Prince came in for a stint and gave up two runs on three hits.
Harris paced the Blue Raider offense with her fourth multi-hit game of the season with 3 RBIs and two hits, including her second home run of the year. Griffith tallied a double and two RBIs, while Birdsong recorded a hit and plated a runner.
Sophomore Lauren Riddell tallied two hits and Jenkins posted two singles and a run scored.
Game 2: UTSA – 13 Middle Tennessee - 5
The Blue Raiders and Roadrunners would trade a pair of runs in the first and top of the second inning that tied the game at one-apiece.
MT retook the lead, 3-1, in the bottom of the third after Griffith knocked in her second and third RBIs of the game with a double to left center, scoring Nieves and Birdsong after the teammates reached base with singles.
But every time the Blue Raiders scored, the Roadrunners would answer as four runs on five hits in the top of the fourth gave UTSA the lead for good with a 5-3 advantage. The UTSA bats stayed hot while scoring another four runs on two hits in the fifth to stretch the lead to six, 9-3.
The Blue Raiders cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Cookus pulled a two-out double to left field to plate Jenkins, while a bases loaded walk drawn by Birdsong later in the inning cut the deficit to four, 9-5.
That was the last time the Blue Raiders would score in the contest while UTSA kept the foot on the gas pedal, scoring four more runs to end the game and securing the victory.
Nieves, Griffith and Jenkins all finished 2-for-4 from the plate with Griffith leading the team with three RBIs. Cookus plated a runner with one hit while Birdsong knocked in runner with a single, while Shadley tied her career-high with three hits.
Junior Kelci Cheney fell to 7-10 on the year after pitching four innings and allowing seven runs. McClure Came in for a stint inside the circle while allowing four runs, and freshman Pattie Taylor saw her first action of the season, pitching the final 1.2 innings of the contest and allowing just one run.
Taylor Oberg for UTSA did most of the damage as she finished 4-of-6 with six RBIs. Kacy Freeze picked up the win for the visitors while going the full seven innings and allowing five runs.
MT will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow as both teams return to the field at 12 p.m.
MT fell in game one, 11-8, before falling in the second contest, 13-5.
The Roadrunners showed why they are the top offense in Conference USA, scoring 24 runs in two games despite MT scoring 13 runs of its own. The eight runs scored by the Blue Raiders in game one was the most in a conference game this season.
Junior Megan Griffith paced the offense as she went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two doubles on the day, including a career-high three RBIs in game two.
Junior Carlie Jenkins and senior Samantha Nieves both tallied a team-high four hits. Jenkins hit 4-of-7 (.571) after coming into the game with just two hits in the previous four games.
Game 1: UTSA – 11 Middle Tennessee – 8
Neither offense would get it going until the third inning when both teams combined for seven runs.
After scoring three runs in the top of the third frame, MT responded with four runs in bottom half of the inning, which was highlighted by Griffith's pinch hit two-out double to left field that plated freshman Morgan Harris and sophomore Austyn Whaley.
MT would take advantage of a UTSA moments later that brought in Griffith from third to give MT a 4-3 lead.
The Roadrunners came back in the top of the fourth inning and added three runs to retake the lead 6-4. Back-to-back home runs by UTSA in the top of the sixth followed by two more runs in the seventh stretched the lead to seven, 11-4.
However, MT would make things interesting in its final at-bat with two outs.Harris started the rally with her second home run of the year as she sent a two-run shot to left field to bring MT to within five, 11-6.
Two singles by Jenkins and junior Randi Cookus set up freshman Cor'Nisha Birdsong with a single through the right side that drove in Jenkins, just before a throwing error helped Cookus come across the plate to bring the UTSA lead to three, 11-8.
The Blue Raiders looked to keep up the valiant effort and all with two outs as well, but UTSA finally secured the win in the next at-bat recording the final out.
Senior Caitlin McClure fell to 3-4 on the year after putting in 3.1 innings of work and allowing six runs (five earned) and five hits. Sophomore Megan Chocallo saw 2.1 innings of action to allow three runs on three hits, while freshman Makenzie Prince came in for a stint and gave up two runs on three hits.
Harris paced the Blue Raider offense with her fourth multi-hit game of the season with 3 RBIs and two hits, including her second home run of the year. Griffith tallied a double and two RBIs, while Birdsong recorded a hit and plated a runner.
Sophomore Lauren Riddell tallied two hits and Jenkins posted two singles and a run scored.
Game 2: UTSA – 13 Middle Tennessee - 5
The Blue Raiders and Roadrunners would trade a pair of runs in the first and top of the second inning that tied the game at one-apiece.
MT retook the lead, 3-1, in the bottom of the third after Griffith knocked in her second and third RBIs of the game with a double to left center, scoring Nieves and Birdsong after the teammates reached base with singles.
But every time the Blue Raiders scored, the Roadrunners would answer as four runs on five hits in the top of the fourth gave UTSA the lead for good with a 5-3 advantage. The UTSA bats stayed hot while scoring another four runs on two hits in the fifth to stretch the lead to six, 9-3.
The Blue Raiders cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Cookus pulled a two-out double to left field to plate Jenkins, while a bases loaded walk drawn by Birdsong later in the inning cut the deficit to four, 9-5.
That was the last time the Blue Raiders would score in the contest while UTSA kept the foot on the gas pedal, scoring four more runs to end the game and securing the victory.
Nieves, Griffith and Jenkins all finished 2-for-4 from the plate with Griffith leading the team with three RBIs. Cookus plated a runner with one hit while Birdsong knocked in runner with a single, while Shadley tied her career-high with three hits.
Junior Kelci Cheney fell to 7-10 on the year after pitching four innings and allowing seven runs. McClure Came in for a stint inside the circle while allowing four runs, and freshman Pattie Taylor saw her first action of the season, pitching the final 1.2 innings of the contest and allowing just one run.
Taylor Oberg for UTSA did most of the damage as she finished 4-of-6 with six RBIs. Kacy Freeze picked up the win for the visitors while going the full seven innings and allowing five runs.
MT will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow as both teams return to the field at 12 p.m.
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Tuesday, February 24
Season Preview - MTSU Softball
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Spring Sports Show hosted by The Boulevard – April 21, 2025: Softball and Baseball
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