Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
8-5
Eastern Michigan
2-6
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jennings, Cori (3-3)
L: MIRANDA, Nicolle (1-3)
Batting:
2B: De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1 ; Harris, Morgan 1
3B: Birdsong, Precious 1
RBI: De La Cruz, Jocelynn 3 ; Harris, Morgan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Burgess, Summer 1 ; Birdsong, Precious 3 ; Harris, Morgan 1 ; Cuccia, Kirstyn 1 ; McGee, Keely 1
SB: Birdsong, Precious 1
CS: Burgess, Summer 1
Batting:
2B: AKLES, Amanda 1 ; SAPORITO, Sam 1
3B: LOGAN, Olivia 1
HR: HOSTETLER, Haley 1
RBI: HOSTETLER, Haley 1 ; LOGAN, Olivia 1 ; OLMOS, Brandice 1 ; SAPORITO, Sam 2
SH: HOLDSWORTH, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOSTETLER, Haley 1 ; SKEENS, Casey 1 ; LOGAN, Olivia 2 ; AKLES, Amanda 1
HBP: LOGAN, Olivia 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Raiders Top Eastern Michigan and Kent State
2/24/2018 6:51:00 PM | Softball
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – In the second day of the EMU Madeira Beach Spring Invitational II, the Middle Tennessee softball team went 2-0. The Blue Raiders posted wins over Eastern Michigan, 7-5, and Kent State, 11-3 in five innings.
Freshman Jocelynn De La Cruz was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double in game one and was 1-for-2 with three RBI and a home run in game two.
The Blue Raiders are now 9-5 on the year.
Game One: Middle Tennessee 7, Eastern Michigan 5
The Blue Raiders got right to work in the first game of the day, scoring first. Precious Birdsong got the mojo going with a hard hit triple to the fence in right center field. Jocelynn De La Cruz followed with a single back up the middle to score Birdsong. Morgan Harris also had a double in the inning.
Eastern Michigan came back in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff solo home run. The Eagles also worked the bases loaded but starting pitcher, Cori Jennings, got out of the jam with her first strikeout of the morning.
Several scoreless innings followed until the Blue Raiders added to their lead in the fourth and fifth innings of action.
In the fourth, Morgan Harris reached first on a single up the middle, she advanced on a walk and a wild pitch. Then, Kristin Uselton landed on first following a fielder's choice to short. She forced the Eagles to make a throw down to second, which allowed Harris to use her wheels to cross home plate.
In the fifth, Middle added three runs as Keely McGee got the rally started with a bloop single to right field. Summer Burgess and Precious Birdsong both laid down bunts. Birdsong's was overthrown and both McGee and Burgess came around to score, giving MT a 4-1 lead. The Blue Raiders added another when Harris sent another laser single up the middle and Birdsong scored.
The Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. An error followed by a triple made it 5-2 and then a single to right field gave MT a two-run lead.
Middle grew that lead by two in the top of the sixth. Kirstyn Cuccia leadoff with a single to right and then with two outs Birdsong got aboard on an infield single. Then De La Cruz hit in two more RBI with a double to the fence in left center field to make it 7-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Eastern Michigan tried to make a comeback. An error put a runner aboard and then a double through the left side put two in scoring position with one out. An infield ground out to second scored one run and then another double put the score at 7-5. The Eagles moved that runner up the third but a ground out to first base gave MT the win.
Cori Jennings pitched four innings to earn the win in the circle, striking out one. Amber Baldwin had three innings of work, she also struck out one.
Game Two: Middle Tennessee 11, Kent State 3 (5)
The Blue Raiders got some help scoring runs against Kent State as the Golden Flash pitchers gave up eight walks, a hit by pitch, two wild pitches and an error in the five inning contest.
In the first inning is when MT got on the board first. Birdsong earned a walk and stole second, she came around to score as the Golden Flashes pitcher threw two wild pitches in the next at bat.
Kent State evened the score in the top of the second on a few of MT's own blunders. A Golden Flash player reached on a dropped third strike and back-to-back singles loaded the bases. Starting pitcher, Baldwin, then hit a batter to bring a runner across home plate.
Middle brought six runs across in the bottom of the second. A walk, a hit by Claire Smith, an error and then four more straight walks with the bases loaded gave MT a 5-1 lead. Harris then lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Burgess. Birdsong came across as Kent State made an errant throw on De La Cruz's movement to second base.
With a 7-1 lead, the Golden Flashes did not settle. They managed to muster two more runs in the top of the third. A leadoff single followed by two fielding errors by the Blue Raiders put the score at 7-3.
Middle added four more runs in the bottom of the third. Smith got aboard on an infield single, followed by Burgess who reached on a walk. Birdsong brought the duo around on a forceful single to right center field. She ended up on third following a throwing error by Kent State. De La Cruz accounted for the other two runs as she hit her second home run of the season over the left field fence to put MT up, 11-3.
Despite the Golden Flashes picking up two hits in the final two innings of play, the Blue Raiders were able to end the game in five innings with Baldwin recording the win in the circle.
Baldwin is now 4-1 on the year, she struck out three in the outing.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders wrap up the Madeira Beach Spring Invitational II tomorrow with games against Marist and Rhode Island starting at 11am EST/10 am CST.
