Raiders Record Two Shutout Wins over UTM and Akron

Saturday, February 17

Montgomery, Ala.

12 PM

Middle Tennessee

5-4

Akron

0-6

Akron

Middle Tennessee

2/17/2018 7:58:00 PM | Softball

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On the second day of play in the Black and Gold Tournament the Middle Tennessee softball team came away with two shutout wins. The Blue Raiders bested Akron, 5-0, and got revenge on UT-Martin from a year ago, 3-0.

Against Akron, Amber Baldwin picked up her third win of the year in the circle and the first shutout of the year for the Blue Raiders. Kirstyn Cuccia launched her first home run of the year.

In the win over the Skyhawks, Cori Jennings tossed the first no hitter since March of 2010. Lexi Cushing also connected on her second home run of the weekend.

Game One: MT 5, Akron 0

After two and a half quick innings, the Blue Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Cuccia walked to start the inning and made her way around the bases on a sacrifice bunt from Deja Portillo and a ground out from Summer Burgess. Keely McGee then sent a single to right field to bring Cuccia across home plate.

In the top of the fourth, the Zips threatened with a leadoff double and got the runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Baldwin worked her way out of the jam by forcing Akron to hit into to ground outs to third.

Middle added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Morgan Harris got aboard on a leadoff single to left. Lexi Cushing followed with another single, this one to left as well. Then, Ryan King sent a single back up the middle to score Harris from second as she beat the tag at home plate to make it 2-0.

Baldwin sent the Zips packing in the top of the fifth as she struck out the side, two swinging and one looking.

The Blue Raiders sealed the deal in the bottom of the sixth after Cushing and Claire Smith reached base on a walk and an infield single. Cuccia then launched a three-run home run over the fence in right field to give MT the 5-0 win.

Game Two: MT 3, UTM 0

Jennings recorded two strikeouts in the first two innings as the Skyhawks went down in order.

Cushing put the Raiders up in the bottom of the second as she sent a solo home run deep over the fence in dead centerfield. The shot was Cushing's second home run of the weekend with going over the centerfield fence.

The score remained 1-0 until an error in the sixth gave MT two more runs. Harris singled to start the inning and Cushing got aboard on a walk. Then Dani Munoz put the ball in play and the Skyhawk pitcher threw it away, allowing Harris to come around to score. A batter later, Cuccia sent a fly ball to center that allowed Cushing to tag up and make it 3-0 in favor of the Raiders.

Jennings struck out the final batter of the game, her fifth of the game, to secure the shutout no hitter victory.