Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Thursday, April 23
Birmingham, Ala.
1 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
18-25, 0
2
at
4
Samford
29-19, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
6
3
Samford
1
0
0
0
0
3
X
4
7
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hanson, Moll (17-9)
L: Payne, Lauren (5-6)
Batting:
2B: Cookus, Randi 1 ; Whaley, Austyn 1
HR: Harris, Morgan 1
RBI: Harris, Morgan 2
SH: Cuccia, Kirstyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CORTEZ, Alma 1 ; Harris, Morgan 1
CS: Harris, Morgan 1
Batting:
2B: Dowdy, Megan 1 ; Bice, Caitli 1
HR: Sweeney, Abb 1
RBI: Sweeney, Abb 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowdy, Megan 1 ; Seay, Caroli 1 ; Sweeney, Abb 1 ; Adams, Abby 1
SB: Wilder, Caro 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Blue Raiders Drop Midweek Doubleheader at Samford
4/23/2015 7:18:00 PM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Middle Tennessee softball team (18-26) suffered a pair of close setbacks Thursday afternoon to a solid Samford (30-19) team at the Bulldog Softball Complex.MT suffered a 4-2 setback in game one before falling short in extra innings in the finale, 5-4.
Freshman Morgan Harris led the offense going 4-for-5 through the two contests as she recorded her fifth and sixth home runs of the season. It's also the second time this season she's hit a home run in back-to-back contests. The catcher also scored three runs as well.
Game One: Samford – 4 Middle Tennessee – 2
Game one starters: Cor'Nisha Birdsong (CF), Alma Cortez (LF), Carlie Jenkins (1B), Morgan Harris (C), Samantha Nieves (SS), Randi Cookus (DP), Kristin Uselton (3B), Austyn Whaley (2B), Kiarra Freeman (RF), Caitlin McClure (P)
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first that they would hold until the fourth inning. With one down and Cortez on second after leading off the frame with a single and advancing to second, Harris sent a two-run bomb to left field to give MT the 2-1 advantage.
Middle Tennessee threatened one more time in the enusing frame when Whaley led off the fifth with a double to left center. She advanced to third on a Freeman sac-bunt, but the Blue Raiders couldn't bring her home.
McClure fell into a groove as she allowed just two hits over four innings before the sixth frame. However, the Bulldogs went for three runs on three hits and took advantage of two miscues to take a 4-2 lead.
Middle Tennessee had one final at-bat in the top of the seventh to tie things up, but Samford retired the side in order to clinch the win.
Harris went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Cortez notched a single. Whaley and Cookus both doubled in the contest and Freeman also tallied a hit.
McClure suffered the loss inside the circle and fell to 5-6 on the year, allowing four runs (two earned) and seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. Sophomore Megan Chocallo came in for a brief stint in the bottom of the sixth to close out the innings.
Game Two: Samford – 5 Middle Tennessee – 4 F/8
Game Two Starters: Birdsong (CF), Cortez (LF), Jenkins (1B), Harris (C), Nieves (SS), Cookus (DP), Uselton (3B), Whaley (2B), Freeman (RF), Cheney (P)
The Blue Raiders wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard putting up two runs in the top of the first. Jenkins reached base after getting hit by a pitch and stole second.
In the next at-bat, Harris sent two-out a single to center field to bring in Jenkins. Nieves came through afterwards with another two-out single to score Harris to give MT a 2-0 start.
Samford would cut the lead in half, 2-1, before MT scored another two runs in the top of the third to stretch the lead to three, 4-1. Harris hit her second home run of the day to left center followed by a two-out RBI double by Uselton that scored Cookus all the way from first.
However, Samford would score three straight runs to tie things up while MT struggled on offense the rest of the way, mustering just two hits in the final five innings.
The Bulldogs would score a run in the bottom of the third followed by two more runs in the fifth after a Caitlin Bice two-run shot tied that tied the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the fifth.
Samford later scored the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and Abby Adams recording a single to left center.
Shadley would start on second in the top of the eighth, but MT couldn't get any momentum going on offense to bring her across the plate.
Harris again led the offense with a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs and a home run, while Uselton tallied a double and an RBI, and Nieves chipped in with a single and RBI. Cortez and Freeman would both tally singles.
Cheney wouldn't factor into the decision despite getting the nod inside the circle. The Terrell, Texas native tossed four solid innings, allowed two runs (one earned) and scattered four hits.
Chocallo pitched the final 3.1 innings of the contest to drop to 3-5 on the year. The right-hander was able to force extra innings as she induced Samford into a groundout to end the inning with two on in the bottom of the seventh.
The Blue Raiders will have the weekend off before heading to Alabama State for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.
Freshman Morgan Harris led the offense going 4-for-5 through the two contests as she recorded her fifth and sixth home runs of the season. It's also the second time this season she's hit a home run in back-to-back contests. The catcher also scored three runs as well.
Game One: Samford – 4 Middle Tennessee – 2
Game one starters: Cor'Nisha Birdsong (CF), Alma Cortez (LF), Carlie Jenkins (1B), Morgan Harris (C), Samantha Nieves (SS), Randi Cookus (DP), Kristin Uselton (3B), Austyn Whaley (2B), Kiarra Freeman (RF), Caitlin McClure (P)
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first that they would hold until the fourth inning. With one down and Cortez on second after leading off the frame with a single and advancing to second, Harris sent a two-run bomb to left field to give MT the 2-1 advantage.
Middle Tennessee threatened one more time in the enusing frame when Whaley led off the fifth with a double to left center. She advanced to third on a Freeman sac-bunt, but the Blue Raiders couldn't bring her home.
McClure fell into a groove as she allowed just two hits over four innings before the sixth frame. However, the Bulldogs went for three runs on three hits and took advantage of two miscues to take a 4-2 lead.
Middle Tennessee had one final at-bat in the top of the seventh to tie things up, but Samford retired the side in order to clinch the win.
Harris went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Cortez notched a single. Whaley and Cookus both doubled in the contest and Freeman also tallied a hit.
McClure suffered the loss inside the circle and fell to 5-6 on the year, allowing four runs (two earned) and seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. Sophomore Megan Chocallo came in for a brief stint in the bottom of the sixth to close out the innings.
Game Two: Samford – 5 Middle Tennessee – 4 F/8
Game Two Starters: Birdsong (CF), Cortez (LF), Jenkins (1B), Harris (C), Nieves (SS), Cookus (DP), Uselton (3B), Whaley (2B), Freeman (RF), Cheney (P)
The Blue Raiders wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard putting up two runs in the top of the first. Jenkins reached base after getting hit by a pitch and stole second.
In the next at-bat, Harris sent two-out a single to center field to bring in Jenkins. Nieves came through afterwards with another two-out single to score Harris to give MT a 2-0 start.
Samford would cut the lead in half, 2-1, before MT scored another two runs in the top of the third to stretch the lead to three, 4-1. Harris hit her second home run of the day to left center followed by a two-out RBI double by Uselton that scored Cookus all the way from first.
However, Samford would score three straight runs to tie things up while MT struggled on offense the rest of the way, mustering just two hits in the final five innings.
The Bulldogs would score a run in the bottom of the third followed by two more runs in the fifth after a Caitlin Bice two-run shot tied that tied the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the fifth.
Samford later scored the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and Abby Adams recording a single to left center.
Shadley would start on second in the top of the eighth, but MT couldn't get any momentum going on offense to bring her across the plate.
Harris again led the offense with a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs and a home run, while Uselton tallied a double and an RBI, and Nieves chipped in with a single and RBI. Cortez and Freeman would both tally singles.
Cheney wouldn't factor into the decision despite getting the nod inside the circle. The Terrell, Texas native tossed four solid innings, allowed two runs (one earned) and scattered four hits.
Chocallo pitched the final 3.1 innings of the contest to drop to 3-5 on the year. The right-hander was able to force extra innings as she induced Samford into a groundout to end the inning with two on in the bottom of the seventh.
The Blue Raiders will have the weekend off before heading to Alabama State for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Spring Sports Show hosted by The Boulevard – April 21, 2025: Softball and Baseball
Monday, April 21
MTSU Softball vs WKU Recap 4/11-13/25
Monday, April 14
MTSU Softball vs WKU Recap 4/11-13/25 2025
Monday, April 14
