MT Drops Two to FIU in Miami

Saturday, April 14

Miami, Fla.

3 PM

Middle Tennessee

27-16, 6-7

FIU

23-22, 7-6

Middle Tennessee

FIU

4/14/2018 7:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score Game 1 Play-by-Play Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Play-by-Play Game 2 Season Stats C-USA Stats

MIAMI, Fla. – The Middle Tennessee softball dropped two games at FIU on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders lost by scores of 4-3 and 7-2.

Middle falls to 27-17, 8-6 while the Panthers improve to 24-22, 8-6.

Keely McGee was 3-for-4 with a walk in the two games while Morgan Harris hit a home run in the second game of the day.

Game One: FIU 4, MT 3

The Raiders jumped out to a quick lead on the Panthers in the first inning. Summer Burgess got aboard as the leadoff on a slap single over the third baseman. Precious Birdsong followed by reaching on a bunt. The two scored as Claire Smith hit a first pitch single to shallow left field to give MT the 2-0 advantage.

FIU got one back in the bottom half of the first inning. Jackie Schoff got aboard on a bunt. The centerfielder went around the bases to score on another bunt, tagging up on a fly out to right field and advancing on a Raider throw down to second.

Harris and Kristin Uselton linked up to add another run for the Raiders in the third frame. Harris leadoff the inning with a line drive to left. Then, Uselton unloaded on a pitch to send it to the fence in left field for a double. Harris scored on the hit to give MT a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, FIU tied the game up at three apiece. Two leadoff singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. Then, Kayla Whitehead hit a single to deep centerfield that scored two runs. The Panthers threatened to take the lead as they worked the bases loaded again with just one out. However, MT got out of the jam as Jocelynn De La Cruz fielded a ball at third that turned into a double play. She tossed it to Harris behind the plate who sent it to Lexi Cushing at first to keep the game at 3-3.

FIU broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth inning. The leadoff batter for the Panthers got aboard and stole second. Then with two outs, Whitehead put the ball in play the Blue Raiders had an error that allowed the runner on second to score, putting FIU ahead.

The Raiders went down in order in the seventh to fall to the Panthers, 4-3.

Cori Jennings got the loss in the circle to move to 13-8 in the circle this season. She struck out two in the effort.

Game Two: FIU 7, MT 2

The Panthers grabbed the early lead in game two. Julia Gilbert a grand slam in the bottom of the first to put FIU ahead 4-0. The lead would end up being all FIU needed to secure the game two victory.

FIU made it 5-0 in the third inning. Two singles and a fielder's choice allowed Kasandra Castle to score and draw out the Panther lead.

The Blue Raiders put themselves back in the game with two runs in the top of the fourth. Birdsong got aboard on a walk and then Harris smacked her second home run of the season. The shot over the left field fence cut FIU's lead to 5-2.

The Panthers added one more run in the fifth inning. Tatiana Forbes started the inning with a single to left and came around to score on a following double and then a ground out to third to put FIU up, 6-2.

In the sixth, MT had a chance to score some runs as McGee led off with the Raiders second hit of the game. The single to right field put her aboard and Birdsong followed by reaching on an error. A couple of fielder's choices ended the inning though.

FIU extended their lead in the sixth as Jackie Schoff hit a two out triple with a runner aboard to make it a 7-2 victory for the Panthers.

Amber Baldwin got the loss in the circle, falling to 8-6 on the year. She struck out one in the complete game effort.

Up Next

The Blue Raiders will return to wrap up the series with FIU tomorrow, Sunday, April 15. First pitch in Miami, Fla. is set for 12pm CST/1pm EST.