Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
UAB
Softball Hosts UAB in Final Home Games of 2017
5/2/2017 1:25:00 PM | Softball
Game Notes
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team plays in its last home games of the 2017 season tomorrow, Wednesday, May 3. The Raiders will host UAB in a rescheduled doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3pm at the Blue Raider Softball Field.
The two sides were able to play just one of their three conference games due to heavy rainfall on the weekend of April 22-23. Middle won that contest after getting through an eight and a half hour weather delay, 3-1.
In the game, the Raiders scored twice on sacrifice plays. Once in the first as Summer Burgess scored on a sac bunt from Austyn Whaley. Then in the third, Whaley hit a sacrifice fly to score Precious Birdsong. MT's other run was an RBI single from Morgan Harris. The Blazers lone run was scored on a double from Amy Waters in the fifth. Cori Jennings got the win in the circle, allowing just two hits and no earned runs while striking out four.
The Raiders enter the doubleheader looking to stay alive in the hunt for a berth to the C-USA Tournament. The team needs to win out in order to give itself a chance to participate for the first time since joining the conference.
MT's most recent C-USA games were against No. 25 Marshall. The Thundering Herd swept the series, winning by scores of 8-0, 3-1 and 2-0. The Raiders' only run of the weekend was an RBI single from Danielle Munoz.
For the Raiders' this season, Birdsong is having a record setting time at the plate. If her current batting average of .444 holds she is set to become MT's all-time individual season batting average leader, outpacing Courtney Mitchell from 2004 (.436). The average is also third best in the conference and 14th highest in the nation. Birdsong also leads the squad in hits (56), slugging percentage (.516), on base percentage (.504) and stolen bases (22).
Whaley continues to lead the way with 25 RBI in her senior season while Harris is hitting .300 on the year after recording a hit against Marshall in all three games last weekend. Harris also has four doubles, 15 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Jennings leads the Raider pitching staff with just over half of the innings pitched at 152.2. She eclipsed 100-strikeout mark last weekend in her outing versus Marshall, up to 104. Jennings is 10-13 with a 2.34 ERA. Gretchen Greer is 7-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 61 strikeouts in her 66.1 innings in the circle this season.
Destini England leads the Blazers at plate with a .279 batting average on the year and a conference leading seven triples. Joanna Fallen and Madison Millsaps lead UAB in RBI with 18 each. They both also have four doubles and five home runs this season.
Claire Blount and Cara Goodwin lead the Blazers in the circle. Blount has seen the most time in the circle with 145 innings of action and 117 strikeouts for an 8-10 record. She posts a 2.70 ERA and 11 complete games. Goodwin has a 5-11 mark, a 3.54 ERA and 75 strikeouts to her credit.
The game will live streamed on C-USA TV and live stats can be found here.
