Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, February 26
Conway, Ark.
11:15 AM
Middle Tennessee
7-4
2
vs
1
South Dakota State
2-10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
South Dakota State
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
6
3
Middle Tennessee
2
0
0
0
0
0
X
2
6
0
Raiders extend win streak to six
2/26/2016 10:22:00 PM | Softball
MT sneaks by South Dakota State, then dominates UAPB
CONWAY, ARK. – Middle Tennessee (8-4) improved their winning streak to six with a pair of impressive wins Friday to kick-off the Central Arkansas Invitational.
The Blue Raiders took down South Dakota State (2-10) 2-1 in the opener with another good performance from Kelci Cheney in the circle. Cheney earned her fifth win of the year with a complete game 7.0 innings in which she allowed just one run on six hits and struck out seven.
Middle Tennessee looked incredible in their night cap, a 22-6 five inning win over the UAPB Golden Lions (4-8). It was the Raiders third run-rule win of the season as Kirstyn Cuccia continues to swing a hot bat. Cuccia went 4-for-5 at the plate, scored four runs and tied a school record with six RBI.
The Raiders began quickly against South Dakota State as they plated two runs in the first inning. Megan Griffith singled to left with runners on second and third to score Precious Birdsong. Carlie Jenkins scored on a throwing error on the same play and MT had an early 2-0 lead.
That is all the support Cheney needed as the senior shutout the Jackrabbits for the first five innings. In the sixth, with runners on second and third, Erin Mullen grounded out to first to score Lauren Chirnside to cut the Raider lead to 2-1. But Cheney got Yanney Ponce to strike out swinging to end the threat. Cheney retired South Dakota State with no trouble in the seventh and MT held on for the 2-1 victory.
Middle Tennessee then went crazy at the plate in their second contest, as they scored eight runs in each of the first two innings against the Golden Lions. The Raiders added four more in the third and led 20-2 after just three innings. UAPB shrunk the lead in the fourth as they scored four to cut things to 20-6. But MT added two more in the bottom of the fourth, and Pattie Taylor shut down the Golden Lions in the fifth as she allowed no runs on only one hit in 2.0 innings to hold the lead at 22-6. Taylor's shut-out streak now stands at 11.0 innings.
The Raiders will attempt to continue the momentum Saturday as they start bright and early against the ULM Warhawks at 9 a.m. MT's former Sun Belt Conference foe won their only game Friday 14-2 and currently hold the all-time series lead over the Raiders 17-7. Middle Tennessee's second game of the day is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and will be the program's first against Central Arkansas who competed in the Norman, Okla. regional last season.
The Blue Raiders took down South Dakota State (2-10) 2-1 in the opener with another good performance from Kelci Cheney in the circle. Cheney earned her fifth win of the year with a complete game 7.0 innings in which she allowed just one run on six hits and struck out seven.
Middle Tennessee looked incredible in their night cap, a 22-6 five inning win over the UAPB Golden Lions (4-8). It was the Raiders third run-rule win of the season as Kirstyn Cuccia continues to swing a hot bat. Cuccia went 4-for-5 at the plate, scored four runs and tied a school record with six RBI.
The Raiders began quickly against South Dakota State as they plated two runs in the first inning. Megan Griffith singled to left with runners on second and third to score Precious Birdsong. Carlie Jenkins scored on a throwing error on the same play and MT had an early 2-0 lead.
That is all the support Cheney needed as the senior shutout the Jackrabbits for the first five innings. In the sixth, with runners on second and third, Erin Mullen grounded out to first to score Lauren Chirnside to cut the Raider lead to 2-1. But Cheney got Yanney Ponce to strike out swinging to end the threat. Cheney retired South Dakota State with no trouble in the seventh and MT held on for the 2-1 victory.
Middle Tennessee then went crazy at the plate in their second contest, as they scored eight runs in each of the first two innings against the Golden Lions. The Raiders added four more in the third and led 20-2 after just three innings. UAPB shrunk the lead in the fourth as they scored four to cut things to 20-6. But MT added two more in the bottom of the fourth, and Pattie Taylor shut down the Golden Lions in the fifth as she allowed no runs on only one hit in 2.0 innings to hold the lead at 22-6. Taylor's shut-out streak now stands at 11.0 innings.
The Raiders will attempt to continue the momentum Saturday as they start bright and early against the ULM Warhawks at 9 a.m. MT's former Sun Belt Conference foe won their only game Friday 14-2 and currently hold the all-time series lead over the Raiders 17-7. Middle Tennessee's second game of the day is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and will be the program's first against Central Arkansas who competed in the Norman, Okla. regional last season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cheney, Kelci (5-3)
L: Ashlyn Bender (1-5)
Batting:
2B: Lauren Chirnside 1
RBI: Erin Mullen 1
SH: Devan Larsen 1 ; Jordyn Sturgeon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lauren Chirnside 1
SB: Abbey Murphy 1
HBP: Abbey Murphy 1
Batting:
RBI: Griffith, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Birdsong, Precious 1 ; Jenkins, Carlie 1
SB: Birdsong, Precious 1 ; Grove, Payton 1
CS: Payne, Lauren 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF/C
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
P
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