Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
14-11
Belmont
11-13
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Spencer, AJ (2-0)
L: FOWLKES, Justin (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Woodard, LA 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Sullivan, Kevin 1
3B: Huff, Drew 1
HR: Dennis, Austin 1 ; Huff, Drew 1 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 1
RBI: Woodard, LA 2 ; Dennis, Austin 1 ; Thomas, Brycen 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Huff, Drew 9 ; Christian, Myles 2 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 2 ; Sullivan, Kevin 2
SF: Woodard, LA 1 ; Thomas, Brycen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodard, LA 2 ; Dennis, Austin 2 ; Aucker, Aaron 1 ; Dupree, Kevin 1 ; Benefield, Blake 3 ; Antonini, Aaron 4 ; Huff, Drew 3 ; Christian, Myles 3 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 3 ; Sullivan, Kevin 2
SB: Dennis, Austin 1
HBP: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Antonini, Aaron 2 ; Christian, Myles 1
Batting:
2B: BRENNING, Cooper 1
3B: COGEN, Matt 1
RBI: CONGER, Kyle 1 ; COGEN, Matt 1 ; KOCHER, Ben 2
Base Running:
RUNS: DAY, Cully 1 ; CONGER, Kyle 1 ; COGEN, Matt 1 ; GARDNER, Devon 1
SB: KOCHER, Ben 1
HBP: CONGER, Kyle 1 ; HADDEN, Chas 1
PO: BRENNING, Cooper 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Blue Raiders roll over Belmont
3/27/2018 9:52:00 PM | Baseball
"We put up a bunch of runs and were able to pitch out of some tough situations," head coach Jim McGuire said.
The Blue Raiders surrendered a run in the opening frame when Belmont singled to right field, but junior outfielder Blake Benefield threw out the base runner trying to advance to second, swinging the momentum to Middle Tennessee and getting the Raiders out of the jam.
Myles Christian got the scoring started for MT in the second inning with a single to right, pushing Drew Huff and Aaron Antonini across the plate and giving the blue and white the lead.
Christian would come around to score on a single by Kevin Sullivan. He finished the day hitting 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The big hit of the inning came when Drew Huff crushed a grand slam to left field, swelling the lead to 9-1.
Huff went into the game on a tear at the plate, going 8 for 17 in his last four games with two runs scored and three RBIs. However, tonight's game was a signature performance.
Huff's home run was his first of the season; he finished the day 4 for 7 at the plate. He also broke the school record for RBIs in a game with nine, and he is tied for second all-time in Conference USA in the same category.
Redshirt sophomore Darrell Freeman Jr. made the most of his first start of the season as the designated hitter with a home run in the fifth inning. Freeman finished his day going 3 for 5 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs.
Blake Benefield also had a strong day at the plate, finishing 3 for 4 and scoring three runs.
Austin Dennis lead of the sixth with a solo home run that put the Blue Raiders up 16-4. Middle Tennessee padded 11 more runs in the fifth and sixth inning combined to put the game out of reach.
Junior Carter Bair got the start for the Blue Raiders. Grant Williams came in relief of Bair and went 2.1 innings, while AJ Spencer picked up the victory, throwing 2.0 innings and giving up just two hits. Blake Stansberry, Conner Bell and Ryan Scharf also pitched for Middle Tennessee, rounding out the last three innings.
The Bruins used seven pitchers against the hot MT bats.
This was the most runs the Blue Raiders had scored in a victory since March 10, 2013, versus Xavier when the Blue Raiders won 24-4 at home.
Middle Tennessee looks to continue the hot hitting as it flies to Norfolk, Virginia, for a weekend series against Old Dominion.
