Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
12-5
Presbyterian
1-12
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jennings, Cori (5-3)
L: COOK, A. (0-3)
Batting:
SH: HARRIS, L. 1
Base Running:
SB: PETREE, J. 1
HBP: WHITE, C. 1
Batting:
RBI: Burgess, Summer 1 ; Smith, Claire 1
SH: Birdsong, Precious 1 ; Harris, Morgan 1 ; McGee, Keely 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burgess, Summer 1 ; Birdsong, Precious 1 ; Harris, Morgan 1 ; McClure, Brooke 1
SB: Smith, Claire 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
MT Shutouts Presbyterian, UNF in Extra Innings
3/2/2018 6:30:00 PM | Softball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Middle Tennessee softball team opened play at the Osprey Classic on Friday afternoon posting two shutout victories. First, MT shutout Presbyterian, 4-0, and then the Blue Raiders bested North Florida, 1-0, in extra innings.
MT is now 13-5 on the year and in the midst of a six game winning streak with the last four wins all being shutouts.
Cori Jennings and Gretchen Greer pitched 15 shutout innings in the circle today. The pair gave up just four hits and struck out 15 in the two wins. Greer's outing was a complete game, eight-inning win.
Summer Burgess went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI in the win over Presbyterian.
Precious Birdsong was 2-for-4 with the game winning RBI in extra innings over UNF.
Game One: Middle Tennessee 4, Presbyterian 0
The Blue Raiders took a commanding three-run lead in the bottom of the first. Burgess walked and Precious Birdsong followed by reaching base on a throwing error by the catcher. Morgan Harris then put the ball in play got aboard as she beat out the bunt. Burgess scored on the play to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Birdsong scored on the next at bat as she slide across home on a wild pitch. Adding the third run of the inning, Claire Smith sent a grounder to second that allowed Harris to score.
Over the next four innings, starting Blue Raider pitcher Cori Jennings amassed four strikeouts. She also picked up two in the first inning. She silenced the Blue Hose bats, allowing only one hit in her five inning outing.
In the bottom of the fourth, Middle added one insurance run. Kristin Uselton sent a one-out single down the left field line and Brooke McClure entered the game to pinch run. Kirstyn Cuccia followed with a single through the gap into right field. Then following a sacrifice bunt, McClure made it 4-0 in favor of the Raiders thanks to the speedy Burgess beating out an infield single to the shortstop.
Gretchen Greer closed out the game in the circle, pitching the final two innings. She recorded four strikeouts to preserve the win for Jennings. Jennings is now 5-3 on the year.
Game Two: Middle Tennessee 1, North Florida 0 (8)
The Blue Raiders second game of the day was a pitcher's duel until the end. Both sides allowed just seven hits and got 11 strikeouts through regulation play. The game ended up remaining scoreless and going into extra innings.
MT nearly got on the board in back-to-back innings in the sixth and the seventh, but the Osprey were able to keep them off the board.
Burgess got a leadoff single in the sixth and moved to second on a ground out from Birdsong. Harris then lifted a ball into right field and Burgess went around to score. However, she was caught at the plate by North Florida to keep the game tied.
Then in the seventh, Claire Smith got a one out double in the seventh and stole third but the Blue Raiders are unable to get her down the last base line following a strikeout and a fly out to deep centerfield.
With the international tiebreaker in affect, Cuccia started on second. Deja Portillo moved her to third on a sacrifice bunt then Birdsong gave MT their first lead of the game as she sent a single to right field.
With a 1-0 lead, the Blue Raiders looked for three outs. They got the first on a sacrifice bunt then the Osprey layed down a squeeze bunt play but Cushing picked it up and tossed it to Harris, who tagged the runner coming down the third base line. Smith caught a pop fly at second for the final out of the game.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders return to the diamond at North Florida tomorrow for two more games in the Osprey Classic. MT is slated to play Campbell and Iowa State back-to-back starting at 10:30am EST/9:30am CST.
