Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Rhode Island
Raiders Host Rhode Island in Midweek Contest
3/13/2018 12:00:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee softball team will match up with Rhode Island in a midweek game at the Blue Raider Softball Field on Wednesday, March 14 at 6pm.
This will be the second time this season the two will meet. Middle bested the Rams 6-0 on Feb. 25 in Madeira Beach, Fla.
In that game, the Rams had five errors which gave MT ample scoring opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings. Lexi Cushing had a two-run home run in the contest while Summer Burgess went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and Claire Smith scored twice for the Blue Raiders. In the circle, Gretchen Greer got the win as she pitched a three-hit shutout.
Rhody and MT also played in a 6-0 contest back in 2000, that game fell in the Blue Raiders favor as well.
Scouting the Blue Raiders (17-8)
Middle is coming off a 2-2 weekend with their most recent win being a 4-1 victory over LA Tech. That game saw Lexi Cushing hit in four RBI with a double and a home run while Amber Baldwin allowed just four hits in the complete game victory, her sixth of the year.
Following the performances, Baldwin and Cushing earned C-USA Pitcher and Player of the Week honors, respectively. It was Cushing's second Player of the Week award of the season.
Cushing has now upped her batting average to .400 and her slugging percentage to .800 on the year. She leads the squad in home runs and doubles with six each. While also boasting a team-high 19 RBI, 48 total bases and 145 putouts from first base.
Burgess continues to top out the Blue Raiders in batting average (.432), she also leads the conference in that category. Precious Birdsong and Kirstyn Cuccia also rank first on the conference charts in two respective categories. Birdsong leads in runs per game (.90) while Cuccia tops the list of sacrifice hits per game (.36). Cuccia's mark also puts her in the top 10 in the nation.
Cori Jennings and Baldwin have been equally strong in the circle for the Blue Raiders through this point of the season. Jennings posts a team-low 1.81 ERA while Baldwin isn't far off with a 1.84 ERA. Both have thrown near the same number of innings at 54 and 53.1, respectively. Jennings has earned seven wins and 38 strikeouts while Baldwin has six wins and 22 strikeouts to her credit.
Scouting Rhode Island (1-12)
The Rams come to Murfreesboro having not won a game in nearly a month. Their last win came on Feb. 17 against Mount St. Mary's, 3-2.
Rhode Island lands in Tennessee playing eight games over the next week. Prior to tomorrow's contest with MT, the Rams play a doubleheader at Tennessee Tech.
Erica Robles is the long Rhody player hitting above .300 at .333. Kylie Shivery leads the team in hits with 10. She also has a team-high two home runs to go with two doubles and five RBI. Erika Yeager also has 5 RBI and a team-best four doubles and nine walks on the year.
Riley Kernan has the team's lone win in the circle, posting a 1-3 record on the season. She has a 5.40 ERA in 21.2 innings of work and eight strikeouts. Becca Rogers currently has the team's lowest ERA, a 4.24 and also leads the Rams in strikeouts with 22.
