Raiders drop two in Arkansas

Saturday, February 27

Conway, Ark.

9:00 AM

Middle Tennessee

8-5

ULM

10-3

Middle Tennessee

ULM

2/27/2016 9:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MT loses to ULM and Central Arkansas

By: @MT_Athletics

CONWAY, ARK. – Middle Tennessee (8-6) had their six-game winning streak snapped with a pair of losses Saturday at the Central Arkansas Invitational. ULM (10-3) took down the Raiders 8-0 in six innings to begin the day, and the host Central Arkansas Bears (7-4) defeated MT 7-5 in the night cap.

The Raiders pitchers, who had been so superb in the circle during the win streak, struggled on Saturday. Kelci Cheney took the loss in game one as she allowed four runs on eight hits in only 3.0 innings of work. Pattie Taylor's 11 inning scoreless streak also came to an end in the contest as she also allowed four runs in 2.2 innings pitched.

In Middle Tennessee's second game of the day, Taylor had a tough second inning and left the game after giving up three runs in the inning without recording an out. Her line for the second game was 1.0 inning pitched, four runs, two hits and three walks. Cheney made her just her second relief appearance and gave up three runs herself in the second, but bounced back to shut down the Bears from that point forward with a 5.0 inning outing, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out two.

ULM got the scoring going early in the first matchup as they plated a run in the first inning. Rochelle Roberts scored on a throwing error and the Warhawks led early 1-0.

The score remained until the third when ULM's McKinley Marks doubled to score Sydney McKay. Two batters later Sidney Coy singled with runners on second and third to bring home Carlie Comeaux for a 3-0 lead. Then, with runners on the corners, Coy stole second to allow Victoria Pederson to steal home for a 4-0 Warhawk lead after three innings.

In the bottom of the sixth with the score 5-0, Faith Bohack earned a base hit that scored Roberts. Two batters later Marks singled to score Bohack and two batters after that a Amye Barre double brought Hunter Hogan to give ULM an 8-0 lead in the sixth, making the game official.

Central Arkansas earned an early run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead over MT, but the Raiders took the lead in the second. MT loaded the bases with no outs and Kristin Uselton had a base hit that scored Dani Munoz to the tie the game 1-1. The Raiders moved the line again as Morgan Harris followed with a base hit to bring home Megan Griffith and keep the bases loaded with no outs. Two batters later Kirstyn Cuccia hit an RBI single and Uselton scored to give the Raiders a 3-1 lead after the top of the second.

But the Bears bats came alive in the bottom half. Four MT walks and a wild pitch put together with four Central Arkansas hits gave the Bears a six run second inning and a 7-3 lead over the Raiders heading to the third.

Both pitching staffs settled down from that point and the teams held each other scoreless for four consecutive innings until the top of the seventh.

In the seventh Middle Tennessee loaded the bases with one out. Peyton Grove singled down the left field line to score Lauren Payne, and Munoz followed by getting hit by a pitch that allowed Precious Birdsong to score. But two more runs is all the Raiders were able to score as they dropped the game to Central Arkansas 7-5.

Middle Tennessee will get another crack at the Bears Sunday as they finish the Central Arkansas Invitational against Central Arkansas at 11:15 a.m.