MT Drops Two at Marshall

Sunday, May 6

Huntington, WV

11 AM

Middle Tennessee

34-19, 11-10

Marshall

24-28-1, 12-9-1

Middle Tennessee

Marshall

5/6/2018 5:22:00 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 Highlights

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Middle Tennessee softball team dropped its final two regular season conference games at Marshall on Sunday, May 6. The Herd bested the Raiders by scores of 8-6 and 3-2. Despite the losses, MT is still headed to the C-USA Championship Tournament, with first round play beginning on Wed., May 9. This is the first time in program history that Middle Tennessee will participate in the C-USA Tournament.

MT finishes the regular season with a record of 34-20, 11-11.

In game one, the Raiders scored all six runs with two outs while Kristin Uselton and Morgan Harris hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning.

The second game was a walk off for the Herd in the bottom of the seventh.

Game One: Marshall 8, MT 6

The Blue Raiders started off the game by taking a commanding 2-0 lead. Uselton and Harris hit back-to-back solo home runs that forced Marshall to yank their starting pitcher. The two home runs both sailed over the left field fence.

The Herd came back in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs on four hits. The first two runs were scored on a fielder's choice and a single to center. Elicia D'Orazio had the other two RBI with a single to left field to give the Herd a 4-2 lead.

Marshall grabbed another run in the third inning. After back-to-back walks, Blakely Burch singled up the middle to give the Herd a 5-2 advantage.

MT got one run back in the top of the fourth. Claire Smith fought for a two-out single, chopping the ball up the middle. Danielle Munoz then slammed a ball off the fence in right center field and Smith used her speed to score from first base, making it a 5-3 game.

A couple of Blue Raider errors gave the Herd two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Harris threw out a runner trying to steal to get the Raiders out of the frame but Marshall extended its lead to 7-3.

In the next half inning, Middle rallied for three runs. With two outs, Precious Birdsong got an infield single and Uselton followed with a bloop single. Harris earned a RBI as she sent a single into right field, scoring Birdsong. The Raiders then pushed the bases loaded as Lexi Cushing was hit by a pitch. Claire Smith then walked and Munoz was also hit by a pitch to make a 7-6 game in favor of the Herd.

D'Orazio got a hit in the bottom of the sixth that scored one run in the inning to give Marshall an 8-6 lead. Gretchen Greer also had two strikeouts in the circle to keep MT within reach.

Down to their final out, the Raiders went for a comeback as Cushing slammed a single to fence in center. Smith followed with a hit by pitch and Munoz walked to load the bases for the second time in the game. The Herd were able to escape with the 8-6 win by catching a fly ball to deep right field.

Cori Jennings got the loss in the circle, pitching four innings and striking out one as she allowed five earned runs on six hits. She is now 18-9 on the year. Greer struck out three in two innings of relief and only allowed one hit.

Game Two: Marshall 3, MT 2

Middle got two runs aboard in the first inning again in game two. Birdsong was on with a bunt and Harris got a fielder's choice. Cushing then powered the runs across as she sent her 12^th double of the year into right center. Cushing moved her RBI total up to 47 on the year with the 2-0 lead.

The Herd got a run in the fourth as D'Orazio was aboard with a walk. She came around to score on a double to left center.

Prior to that double, the only other hit that the Herd mustered was in the first inning.

Up 2-1, the Herd came back in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff hit by pitch and infield single put the tying and go ahead run on base. Then a double to left center sealed the Marshall walk off 3-2 win.

Amber Baldwin got the loss, despite giving up just four hits and going to the complete game. She is now 9-8 on the season.

Up Next

The Blue Raiders will continue the season on Wednesday, May 9 as they open the C-USA Championship Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Middle earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will face the No. 7 seed North Texas at 1:30pm CST/2:30pm EST.