Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Wednesday, March 22
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
6 PM
Middle Tennessee
8-12
2
vs
16
Lipscomb
12-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
LIPSCOMB
0
0
0
1
4
9
2
0
0
16
18
0
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
7
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GIBSON, Dallas (1-0)
L: Williams, Grant (0-2)
Batting:
2B: SOLOMON, Lee 2 ; PERRY, Jake 1 ; THOMAS, Blake 1 ; HANKS, Hunter 2
RBI: SOLOMON, Lee 3 ; SORRELLS, Cade 1 ; DODSON, Zeke 1 ; PERRY, Jake 3 ; THOMAS, Blake 1 ; HANKS, Hunter 4 ; BETHUNE, Tyler 1 ; HOOKER, Allan 1
SH: HANKS, Hunter 1
SF: PERRY, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GIGLIOTTI, Michael 2 ; SOLOMON, Lee 3 ; SORRELLS, Cade 2 ; DODSON, Zeke 2 ; PERRY, Jake 1 ; THOMAS, Blake 3 ; HANKS, Hunter 2 ; HOOKER, Allan 1
SB: GIGLIOTTI, Michael 1 ; SOLOMON, Lee 1 ; THOMAS, Blake 1
HBP: SOLOMON, Lee 1
PO: SOLOMON, Lee 1
Batting:
2B: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Lopez, Manuel 1 ; Vesser, Chaz 1
HR: Delgado, Riley 1
RBI: Delgado, Riley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Kemp, Ryan 1
HBP: Sullivan, Kevin 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/IF
/ BaseballSS
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Blue Raiders Can't Stop Skid, Fall at Home to Lipscomb
3/22/2017 10:11:00 PM | Baseball
MT continues to struggle throwing strikes
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee couldn't snap its season-long losing streak Wednesday.
The Blue Raiders (8-12) were visited by in-state foe Lipscomb (12-8) after Tuesday's game was postponed and suffered a 16-2 loss, their sixth in a row.
"It's been really difficult; six in a row is a lot," Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "We've played some very, very good teams and at times we've played ok, but tonight we didn't."
Freshman starter Grant Williams kept MT in the game early. The righty pitched the best game of his young career, giving up just one run in four innings on six hits and two walks while striking out a career-high five batters.
The good start was a positive sight for McGuire after his pitching staff gave up 42 runs in the losing streak going into Wednesday (8.4 per game).
"He's going to go through some growing pains … but for him to regroup and get us four innings tonight was really big," McGuire said. "He's not a hard thrower, but he can throw his curveball for a strike. He just needs to get a little more consistent, but I was happy with what he did tonight."
After Williams exited with the Blue Raiders trailing just 1-0, the pitching staff had trouble keeping Lipscomb off the scoreboard.
The Bison tallied four runs against right-handed reliever Carson Lester in the top of the fifth. He didn't record an out but gave up four hits, including two doubles, and a walk.
Senior right-hander Will Small relieved Lester after five batters and was able to get the Raiders out of the inning by sitting down the next three batters, but in the top of the sixth Lipscomb added nine more runs to put the game out of reach.
The Bison plated two more and finished with 17 total hits.
"I keep trying to figure out the bullpen with who to bring in and when, and it's been backfiring on me, obviously," McGuire said.
The bright spot offensively for Middle Tennessee came in the bottom of the fifth.
Junior designated hitter Ryan Kemp singled to lead off the inning and advanced all the way to third before senior shortstop Riley Delgado crushed a two-out, two-run home run to left field.
It was the second game in a row that Delgado went deep. On Sunday against Florida Atlantic, he hit the first leadoff homer for the Blue Raiders since 2011. It was also his first career home run at MT.
He added a double in a 2-for-4 night.
"I don't know if he's ever hit a home run before this week, but he's swinging the bat pretty good right now," McGuire said. "He's just a steady player, and I know I can count on him and the team can count on him."
Kemp finished 2-for-3 with his first career double, and Chaz Vesser also added his first double of the season. Blake Benefield and Manuel Lopez added one hit apiece.
The Blue Raiders will go back into Conference USA play Friday. They will try to end their losing streak and get their first C-USA win of the season when rival Western Kentucky travels to Reese Smith Jr. Field for the first of a three-game weekend series starting at 6 p.m.
"We're going through a difficult time, and we have to find a way to get it back going and fight through it. That's all we can do," McGuire said.
The Blue Raiders (8-12) were visited by in-state foe Lipscomb (12-8) after Tuesday's game was postponed and suffered a 16-2 loss, their sixth in a row.
"It's been really difficult; six in a row is a lot," Head Coach Jim McGuire said. "We've played some very, very good teams and at times we've played ok, but tonight we didn't."
Freshman starter Grant Williams kept MT in the game early. The righty pitched the best game of his young career, giving up just one run in four innings on six hits and two walks while striking out a career-high five batters.
The good start was a positive sight for McGuire after his pitching staff gave up 42 runs in the losing streak going into Wednesday (8.4 per game).
"He's going to go through some growing pains … but for him to regroup and get us four innings tonight was really big," McGuire said. "He's not a hard thrower, but he can throw his curveball for a strike. He just needs to get a little more consistent, but I was happy with what he did tonight."
After Williams exited with the Blue Raiders trailing just 1-0, the pitching staff had trouble keeping Lipscomb off the scoreboard.
The Bison tallied four runs against right-handed reliever Carson Lester in the top of the fifth. He didn't record an out but gave up four hits, including two doubles, and a walk.
Senior right-hander Will Small relieved Lester after five batters and was able to get the Raiders out of the inning by sitting down the next three batters, but in the top of the sixth Lipscomb added nine more runs to put the game out of reach.
The Bison plated two more and finished with 17 total hits.
"I keep trying to figure out the bullpen with who to bring in and when, and it's been backfiring on me, obviously," McGuire said.
The bright spot offensively for Middle Tennessee came in the bottom of the fifth.
Junior designated hitter Ryan Kemp singled to lead off the inning and advanced all the way to third before senior shortstop Riley Delgado crushed a two-out, two-run home run to left field.
It was the second game in a row that Delgado went deep. On Sunday against Florida Atlantic, he hit the first leadoff homer for the Blue Raiders since 2011. It was also his first career home run at MT.
He added a double in a 2-for-4 night.
"I don't know if he's ever hit a home run before this week, but he's swinging the bat pretty good right now," McGuire said. "He's just a steady player, and I know I can count on him and the team can count on him."
Kemp finished 2-for-3 with his first career double, and Chaz Vesser also added his first double of the season. Blake Benefield and Manuel Lopez added one hit apiece.
The Blue Raiders will go back into Conference USA play Friday. They will try to end their losing streak and get their first C-USA win of the season when rival Western Kentucky travels to Reese Smith Jr. Field for the first of a three-game weekend series starting at 6 p.m.
"We're going through a difficult time, and we have to find a way to get it back going and fight through it. That's all we can do," McGuire said.
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