Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
20-22, 7-12
#25 Southern Miss
32-12, 14-5
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Colt Smith (3-0)
L: Spencer, AJ (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Dylan Burdeaux 1 ; Mason Irby 2 ; Jake Viaene 1 ; Matthew Guidry 1 ; LeeMarcus Boyd 1
HR: Dylan Burdeaux 1 ; Hunter Slater 1 ; Matt Wallner 1
RBI: Dylan Burdeaux 3 ; Mason Irby 1 ; Hunter Slater 2 ; Taylor Braley 3 ; Matt Wallner 3 ; Matthew Guidry 1 ; LeeMarcus Boyd 1
SF: Taylor Braley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Dylan Burdeaux 4 ; Mason Irby 2 ; Hunter Slater 3 ; Matt Wallner 1 ; Jake Viaene 1 ; Matthew Guidry 1 ; LeeMarcus Boyd 2
HBP: Dylan Burdeaux 1 ; LeeMarcus Boyd 1
Batting:
2B: Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 1
HR: Aucker, Aaron 1
RBI: Aucker, Aaron 2 ; Dennis, Austin 3 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 1 ; Huff, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgado, Riley 1 ; Jarreau, Brad 1 ; Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 2 ; Lopez, Manuel 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1
SB: Dennis, Austin 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Aucker's bat stays hot despite setback
4/28/2017 9:34:00 PM | Baseball
Slugger connects for 7th HR in 11 games
The Golden Eagles (32-12, 14-5) flexed their muscle from the outset and jumped on Blue Raider starter AJ Spencer for eight run in the first inning on their way to a 14-7 win in the series opener at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Middle Tennessee (20-22, 7-12) would not go down without a fight after the first-inning deficit it faced. The Blue Raiders scored three runs in the first and second innings to pull to within 8-6, but that would be as close as they would get.
Southern Miss broke it back open with three in the third and added one in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Middle Tennessee pounded out 15 hits, led by consistent productivity of Austin Dennis and Aaron Aucker. They were amongst five Blue Raiders with multi-hit games.
Aucker continued to feast at the plate. He was 1-for-2 with two RBI, two run scored and two walks. Aucker connected for his team-leading ninth home run in the first inning. He extended his hitting streak to 14 games and his reached base streak to 24 straight (out of 28 games played). The hard-hitting junior has connected for seven home runs in the last 11 games.
Dennis continued his strong season, too. Dennis was 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the second. It was Dennis' 10th two-bagger of the season.
Brad Jarreau (2-for-5, run scored) Kaleb King (2-for-4) and Drew Huff (2-for-5, 1 RBI) also had multi-hit games for the Blue Raiders.
Darrell Freeman delivered a pinch-hit, RBI double, for his first career RBI in the ninth inning. His two-base hit scored Manuel Lopez, who had delivered a pinch-hit single.
Middle Tennessee will look to even the series when the two teams meet again Saturday at 4 p.m.
