Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Sunday, April 10
Hattiesburg, MS
1:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
14-18, 2-10
11
at
12
Southern Miss
25-8, 11-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
1
0
1
2
5
0
2
0
0
11
19
2
Southern Miss
2
0
3
0
3
0
0
1
3
12
10
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Winston (4-0)
L: Puckett, Cody (3-1)
Batting:
2B: Dennis, Austin 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 1
HR: Dennis, Austin 1
RBI: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Dennis, Austin 5 ; Jarreau, Brad 2 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Huff, Drew 2
SH: Dupree, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgado, Riley 4 ; Dennis, Austin 2 ; Jarreau, Brad 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Sistrunk, Austin 1 ; Shapen, Vaughn 2
Batting:
2B: Burdeaux 2 ; Lynch 2 ; Dawson 1
RBI: Burdeaux 2 ; Lynch 3 ; Gilbert 1 ; Robinson 1 ; Dawson 3
SH: Scott 1
SF: Robinson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burdeaux 2 ; J. Sandlin 2 ; Lynch 1 ; Scott 1 ; Gilbert 1 ; Robinson 1 ; Rubiera 1 ; Cooper 2 ; Dawson 1
HBP: Cooper 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
0
AB
4
R
4
H
3
RBI
1
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
5
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/C
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Jordan Burgess, USM Athletics
Walks Prove Costly in 12-11 Loss at Southern Miss
4/10/2016 5:51:00 PM | Baseball
MT racks up season-best 19 hits and tally 11 runs in loss
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Nine walks and a couple of errors doomed the Blue Raiders (14-18, 2-10) on a day when their bats came alive for 19 hits as they lost the series finale at Southern Miss (25-8, 11-1) by a score of 12-11.
Middle Tennessee's top six hitters in the order went a combined 17-for-30 on the day, led by Riley Delgado who reached base safely five times on a 3-for-4 performance that included two walks.
Austin Dennis went 3-for-6 on the day with a career-high five RBIs thanks in large part to his first career home run, an inside-the park grand slam. Brad Jarreau and Blake Benefield each enjoyed 4-for-5 days at the plate as well with Jarreau earning a pair of RBIs.
Middle Tennessee put up four hits in the first but managed just one run which crossed home on Drew Huff's two-out RBI single before the Blue Raiders got caught up in a run-down to end the inning.
Starting pitcher Jake Wyrick started off shaky, giving up a couple of walks and a two-run double before settling in with three consecutive strikeouts.
The Blue Raiders got a couple more runners on in the second but failed to push them around. After striking out to end the top of the second, Dennis robbed a double from the Southern Miss catcher with a diving catch in right for the first out in the bottom of the frame.
Wyrick ended a scoreless second inning with his fourth strikeout of the game to send the Blue Raiders back to the plate to start the third inning.
Middle Tennessee pushed the tying run across in the third when Huff singled to shallow right field to score Jarreau from third, but the Raiders were held at two runs for the game despite nine total hits in the first three frames.
Southern Miss scraped together three more runs in a messy bottom of the third for the Blue Raiders, taking a 5-2 lead into the fourth and chasing Wyrick from the game.
The Blue Raiders began to turn hits into runs in the fourth inning as three consecutive singles pushed Vaughn Shapen across the plate while a double by Aaron Aucker later in the inning scored Delgado.
After getting a strikeout in the third, Garrett Ring registered his second in the fourth inning while allowing just one Golden Eagle base runner.
Middle broke through again in the fifth inning in a big way. After Benefield led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second, the Raiders drew three straight walks to tie the game at five all.
Freshman Austin Dennis then stepped to the plate and lined a ball up the middle that ducked under the diving center fielder's glove and rolled all the way to the wall. Dennis turned on the afterburners and sped around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam that put MT on top 9-5.
The Golden Eagles fired back with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to draw within a run at 9-8, but wouldn't grab hold of a tie or lead for the time being.
After a scoreless sixth inning on both sides, a one-out walk for Delgado followed by a double by Dennis put two runners in scoring position for Jarreau who singled to center field to extend the lead to 11-8.
Ring cruised through the bottom of the seventh but allowed a one-out double in the eighth, causing head coach Jim McGuire to go to the bullpen for lefty Cody Puckett.
Ring's career-long outing lasted five and one-third innings as he racked up six strikeouts without giving up a walk.
A pop fly to right field followed by a single moved the runner inherited by Puckett home to make the score 11-9 before he got out of the inning.
The junior from Smithville, Tenn., came back to the mound for the ninth as Middle still held onto a two-run lead, but didn't have his top shelf stuff Sunday and was pulled after walking the bases loaded with no outs.
Caleb Smith came on for Puckett and fought to a full count, but missed the plate for ball four to force in a run.
After a single to left tied the game a wild pitch allowed the game-winning run to cross the plate for Southern Miss, giving them a home series sweep against the Raiders.
Middle Tennessee faces a tough test again on Tuesday when it travels to Nashville for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Vanderbilt.
The Blue Raiders defeated the Commodores at home in March, but enter this meeting having lost five of their last six.
Middle Tennessee's top six hitters in the order went a combined 17-for-30 on the day, led by Riley Delgado who reached base safely five times on a 3-for-4 performance that included two walks.
Austin Dennis went 3-for-6 on the day with a career-high five RBIs thanks in large part to his first career home run, an inside-the park grand slam. Brad Jarreau and Blake Benefield each enjoyed 4-for-5 days at the plate as well with Jarreau earning a pair of RBIs.
Middle Tennessee put up four hits in the first but managed just one run which crossed home on Drew Huff's two-out RBI single before the Blue Raiders got caught up in a run-down to end the inning.
Starting pitcher Jake Wyrick started off shaky, giving up a couple of walks and a two-run double before settling in with three consecutive strikeouts.
The Blue Raiders got a couple more runners on in the second but failed to push them around. After striking out to end the top of the second, Dennis robbed a double from the Southern Miss catcher with a diving catch in right for the first out in the bottom of the frame.
Wyrick ended a scoreless second inning with his fourth strikeout of the game to send the Blue Raiders back to the plate to start the third inning.
Middle Tennessee pushed the tying run across in the third when Huff singled to shallow right field to score Jarreau from third, but the Raiders were held at two runs for the game despite nine total hits in the first three frames.
Southern Miss scraped together three more runs in a messy bottom of the third for the Blue Raiders, taking a 5-2 lead into the fourth and chasing Wyrick from the game.
The Blue Raiders began to turn hits into runs in the fourth inning as three consecutive singles pushed Vaughn Shapen across the plate while a double by Aaron Aucker later in the inning scored Delgado.
After getting a strikeout in the third, Garrett Ring registered his second in the fourth inning while allowing just one Golden Eagle base runner.
Middle broke through again in the fifth inning in a big way. After Benefield led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second, the Raiders drew three straight walks to tie the game at five all.
Freshman Austin Dennis then stepped to the plate and lined a ball up the middle that ducked under the diving center fielder's glove and rolled all the way to the wall. Dennis turned on the afterburners and sped around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam that put MT on top 9-5.
The Golden Eagles fired back with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to draw within a run at 9-8, but wouldn't grab hold of a tie or lead for the time being.
After a scoreless sixth inning on both sides, a one-out walk for Delgado followed by a double by Dennis put two runners in scoring position for Jarreau who singled to center field to extend the lead to 11-8.
Ring cruised through the bottom of the seventh but allowed a one-out double in the eighth, causing head coach Jim McGuire to go to the bullpen for lefty Cody Puckett.
Ring's career-long outing lasted five and one-third innings as he racked up six strikeouts without giving up a walk.
A pop fly to right field followed by a single moved the runner inherited by Puckett home to make the score 11-9 before he got out of the inning.
The junior from Smithville, Tenn., came back to the mound for the ninth as Middle still held onto a two-run lead, but didn't have his top shelf stuff Sunday and was pulled after walking the bases loaded with no outs.
Caleb Smith came on for Puckett and fought to a full count, but missed the plate for ball four to force in a run.
After a single to left tied the game a wild pitch allowed the game-winning run to cross the plate for Southern Miss, giving them a home series sweep against the Raiders.
Middle Tennessee faces a tough test again on Tuesday when it travels to Nashville for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Vanderbilt.
The Blue Raiders defeated the Commodores at home in March, but enter this meeting having lost five of their last six.
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