Extra-Inning Win Wraps Up Campbell/Cartier Classic for MT

Sunday, February 17

San Diego, Calif.

11 AM

Middle Tennessee

5-5

Northern Illinois

6-4

Middle Tennesee

Northern Illinois

2/17/2019 2:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

SAN DIEGO - Lani Rodriguez drove in Summer Burgess to give Middle Tennessee (5-5) a 2-1 lead over Northern Illinois (6-4) in the top of the eighth inning. Amber Baldwin pitched a scoreless bottom half of the inning to clinch the win for MT.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Summer Burgess started the eight inning on second base. Claire Smith immediately laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Burgess to third with one out. Lani Rodriguez chopped a grounder towards the middle of the infield. The second baseman fielded it and looked home before making a low throw to first allowing Rodriguez to reach on an error and Burgess to score the go-ahead run.

The Blue Raiders were trailing 1-0 heading into the sixth inning before Jocelynn De La Cruz ripped a line drive over the left field fence to tie the game at one.

NIU got on the board first in the fourth inning, when Jenny Van Geertry singled to lead off the inning and later scored.

Amber Baldwin (1-0) pitched an eight-inning complete game and allowed just one run on three hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. She did not allow a hit until the fourth inning.

Mackenzie Bryan (4-2) took the loss for NIU, throwing the top of the seventh inning when the go-ahead run scored.

News & Notes

The Blue Raiders are now 2-0 in extra inning games this season.
Middle Tennessee finishes the weekend 3-2, tied with NIU for the second best record in the Campbell/Cartier Classic.
The home run is De La Cruz's third of her career.
Baldwin made team's the longest start and longest outing of the season in her eight innings.

Up Next

The Blue Raiders will travel to Madeira Beach, Florida, next weekend for the Madeira Beach College Invitational. Their first game of the weekend will be at 10am CT on Friday against Purdue.