Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
20-29, 0
UAB
18-27, 0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GOODWIN, Cara (6-11)
L: Jennings, Cori (10-14)
Batting:
2B: ERWIN, Natalie 1
HR: WARREN, Mary 1
RBI: WARREN, Mary 3
Base Running:
RUNS: ENGLAND, Destini 1 ; FALLEN, Joanna 1 ; WARREN, Mary 1
HBP: GARCIA, Molli 1
Batting:
HR: Munoz, Danielle 1
RBI: Munoz, Danielle 1
SH: Burgess, Summer 1 ; Whaley, Austyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Munoz, Danielle 1
SB: Birdsong, Precious 1
HBP: Slatter, Kaylyn 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Raiders Take Series From UAB in Last Home Games
5/3/2017 8:46:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team split a doubleheader with UAB on Wednesday afternoon, May 3. With the one win, that gives MT the series win over the Blazers after taking game one on April 22. Middle moves to 19-27, 6-15 on the year while UAB is now 20-30, 11-10. With the one loss, the Raiders are now out of contention for the conference tournament.
Game 1 – UAB 3, MT 1 – Box Score
In game one, the two sides were knotted in a scoreless draw until the seventh inning. Prior to the seventh, MT and UAB had runners advance to third base just three times.
The Blazers got a runner to third in the top of the third. Natalie Erwin hit a double to left and advanced on a Raider error. A strikeout by Cori Jennings and a ground out to Kristin Uselton at third base halted the scoring chance.
MT had Morgan Harris reach third in the bottom of the fourth. She got there by singlin up the middle, advancing on a sacrifice bunt from Austyn Whaley, and tagging up as Kaylyn Slatter popped up in foul territory to the catcher. A fly out to left however, left Harris stranded.
UAB loaded the bases in the fifth on two singles and then a fielder's choice. Stellar defense got the Raiders out of the jam as Whaley caught a pop fly at second and Uselton used quick reflexes to snag a laser line drive at third.
The Blazers were able to break the game open in the seventh. Two Raider fielding errors put two runners on with no outs. Gretchen Greer came into pitch and recorded a strikeout and a bunt put another out on the board. With two on though, Mary Warren homered to dead center field to give UAB the 3-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Danielle Munoz hit a bomb of her own. The solo shot sailed over the left field fence to make it 3-1. That was all the runs the Raiders could muster in their final at bats to fall to the Blazers.
Jennings took the loss in the circle, moving to 10-14 with one strikeout on the afternoon.
Harris, Munoz and Kirstyn Cuccia and Keely McGee recorded the four MT hits.
Game 2 – MT 4, UAB 2 – Box Score
Middle got out to four-run lead early in game two. Munoz leadoff with an infield single and Uselton followed a single to center. Then freshman Samantha Vacko came up with a huge double to left center to bring Munoz across home plate. Lauren Payne kept the rally going by hitting an infield single to load the bases. Summer Burgess was then walked to make it 2-0. Up next, Precious Birdsong hit a ball to second that the fielder could not handle. The error brought two more runs across to give MT a 4-0 lead.
The Blazers came back with a run in the top of the third. Amy Waters lead off with a double to right field. Danii Fernandez hit a ball to left field two outs later that scored Waters from third to make it 4-1.
UAB struck again in the sixth with Warren hitting another home run. This one was a solo shot to left field to cut the Raiders' lead to 4-2. Megan Chocallo then struck out the two batters. Pattie Ruth Taylor finished off the inning after UAB got a double and was threatening to score again. A ground out to Burgess at short kept MT ahead.
Vacko crushed another double in the top of the seventh but Middle could not push a run across.
However, the defense got the job done in the bottom half of the inning. After giving up a hit, Taylor turned a doubleplay by snagging a line drive and firing it to Munoz at first for the second out. Another ground out to Burgess at short gave MT the 4-2 win and the 2-1 series victory.
Chocallo picked up her first win of the year while Taylor was credited with the save.
Birdsong was 2-for-3 while Vacko went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Payne also went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
Middle now goes on the road for its final conference series and set of games of the 2017 season. The Raiders head to Charlotte to play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 6 at 12pm and finish off with a single game on Sunday, May 7 at 11am.
