Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Tuesday, February 27
Knoxville, TN
2:30 PM
Middle Tennessee
4-4
4
at
5
Tennessee
5-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
4
7
0
Tennessee
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
0
X
5
6
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HEFLIN (2-0)
L: Williams, Grant (0-1)
S: WALLACE, C. (2)
Batting:
2B: Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Stratinsky, Brett 1
HR: Benefield, Blake 1
RBI: Aucker, Aaron 2 ; Huff, Drew 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1
SH: Kemp, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodard, LA 1 ; Kemp, Ryan 1 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1
SB: Woodard, LA 1 ; Dennis, Austin 1
CS: Huff, Drew 1
HBP: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Antonini, Aaron 1
Batting:
3B: AMMONS 1
RBI: CHARLESTON 3 ; AMMONS 2
SH: CHARLESTON 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CHARLESTON 1 ; SOSNOWSKI 1 ; STAPP, W. 2 ; LEFTRIDGE 1
Game Leaders
dh/1b
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ BaseballOF/IF
/ Baseball
OF/IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
MT falls to Tennessee in Knoxville
2/27/2018 7:09:00β―PM | Baseball
Benefield hit first HR of season
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee surrendered a three run lead in their loss to the Tennessee Volunteers 5-4 on Tuesday in Knoxville.
The Blue Raiders struck first, when Blake Benefield blasted a solo home run to left-center field, giving them a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
MT piled on runs in the third after LA Woodard walked, stole second and balked to third. That followed with a double from designated hitter Aaron Aucker and a single from Drew Huff, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Aucker finished the day 3-for-4, with two RBI and a walk. Leadoff man LA Woodard did not record a hit, but found the bases often with three walks in five plate appearances.
"It was good to see (Benefield, Aucker and Huff) starting to get back on track," said head coach Jim McGuire. "It was encouraging."
Junior right-handed pitcher A.J. Spencer got his first start of the 2018 season, hurling three shutout innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two.
The Vols offense showed a heartbeat once Spencer left the game, though. In the bottom of the fourth they pulled within one run, after a single scored two.
One inning later, Tennessee pushed ahead of the Blue Raiders, scoring a run on an infield single that barely beat out the throw from Drew Huff to tie the game at three. A two-run triple followed for the Vols to go ahead 5-3.
"I thought Coach Longshore did a tremendous job, keeping (the Vols) off-balance and holding it together with as many walks as we had," said McGuire. "We just have to continue to get better and throw more strikes."
However, MT never quit. The Blue Raiders notched one run in the seventh frame to put the game at 5-4. In the eighth they loaded the bases with no outs, but a strikeout and a double-play shut the door. Β
Middle Tennessee threatened again in the ninth inning, putting the tying run on third base after an Austin Dennis walk, sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, but they were unable to get him home.
"Things are starting to come together (on offense) but we're a much better offensive team than we've played in these past eight games," McGuire said.
Β Β
The Blue Raiders have a chance to bounce back tomorrow at Reese Smith Jr. Field against another in-state foe, Tennessee Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and fans can listen via the Blue Raider Network (100.5/101.9 FM).
Β
The Blue Raiders struck first, when Blake Benefield blasted a solo home run to left-center field, giving them a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
MT piled on runs in the third after LA Woodard walked, stole second and balked to third. That followed with a double from designated hitter Aaron Aucker and a single from Drew Huff, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Aucker finished the day 3-for-4, with two RBI and a walk. Leadoff man LA Woodard did not record a hit, but found the bases often with three walks in five plate appearances.
"It was good to see (Benefield, Aucker and Huff) starting to get back on track," said head coach Jim McGuire. "It was encouraging."
Junior right-handed pitcher A.J. Spencer got his first start of the 2018 season, hurling three shutout innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two.
The Vols offense showed a heartbeat once Spencer left the game, though. In the bottom of the fourth they pulled within one run, after a single scored two.
One inning later, Tennessee pushed ahead of the Blue Raiders, scoring a run on an infield single that barely beat out the throw from Drew Huff to tie the game at three. A two-run triple followed for the Vols to go ahead 5-3.
"I thought Coach Longshore did a tremendous job, keeping (the Vols) off-balance and holding it together with as many walks as we had," said McGuire. "We just have to continue to get better and throw more strikes."
However, MT never quit. The Blue Raiders notched one run in the seventh frame to put the game at 5-4. In the eighth they loaded the bases with no outs, but a strikeout and a double-play shut the door. Β
Middle Tennessee threatened again in the ninth inning, putting the tying run on third base after an Austin Dennis walk, sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, but they were unable to get him home.
"Things are starting to come together (on offense) but we're a much better offensive team than we've played in these past eight games," McGuire said.
Β Β
The Blue Raiders have a chance to bounce back tomorrow at Reese Smith Jr. Field against another in-state foe, Tennessee Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and fans can listen via the Blue Raider Network (100.5/101.9 FM).
Β
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