Stellar Pitching by Baldwin, Dodd Highlight Day One of USF Invitational

Friday, March 1

Clearwater, Fla.

9:00 AM

Middle Tennessee

8-9

Penn

0-1

Penn

Middle Tennessee

3/1/2019 5:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: @MTAthletics

CLEARWATER, Fla.– In the first day of the USF-Clearwater Parks & Recreation Invitational, Middle Tennessee softball (9-9) posted a pair of wins with the help of stellar pitching performances by Amber Baldwin and Corrina Dodd.

Game One: Middle Tennessee 3, Penn 0

Friday morning's game between the Blue Raiders and Quakers was Penn's (0-1) first of the season.

Ryan King was the first Blue Raider to welcome Penn to the new season by scoring Cameran McKenry on a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the second, giving MT the first lead of the game. Blue Raider pinch runners scored all three runs of the morning, as Keely McGee touched the plate in the fifth, followed by Savannah Freeman, who scored in the sixth after stealing two bases.

While the Blue Raider bats provided enough run support, the story of the morning was Amber Baldwin's season-high seven strikeouts that propelled MT to its first shutout victory of 2019. The complete game shutout is Baldwin's second of her career and first in the new season. She was just two K's away from tying a career high.

"I'm very proud of Amber. She is pitching through pain and has had to make some adjustments to her training and warmups," head coach Jeff Breeden said. "She is gutting it out for her team and is going to continue to show that leadership. She was lights out today."

Game Two: Middle Tennessee 6, Bethune-Cookman 2 (10 Inn.)

Runs proved to be at a premium in Middle Tennessee's second game of the weekend as well.

Bethune-Cookman's (4-13) Alexis Bermudez and MT's Corrina Dodd kept each other's team off the board until extra innings, when the Blue Raiders struck first in the eighth inning. Savannah Freeman entered the game and was placed on second base to begin the inning. After stealing third — her third stolen bag of the day — Freeman scored on a Keely McGee sacrifice fly.

After the Wildcats scored in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game up at one run apiece, both teams were held scoreless in the ninth. Finally, MT's bats came to life in the 10th inning, scoring five runs on three hits, including a single by Kirstyn Cuccia to score the go-ahead run and a three-RBI double by Jocelynn De La Cruz.

The 6-2 victory in 10 innings over Bethune-Cookman was the longest game the Blue Raiders have played since battling for 10 innings with Charlotte on May 1, 2016.

"I'm proud of our pitching staff today because after Wednesday night they were challenged to compete, and today they answered the bell," Breeden added. "Dodd threw like a veteran today instead of a freshman. She had her best outing of year today by far."

News and Notes

Burgess' streak of reaching base safely ended at five games, but De La Cruz extends her streak to seven.
MT's four stolen bases against Penn ties a season best mark (Feb. 24 vs. Albany).
Corinna Dodd's 10-inning performance is the longest for a Blue Raider so far this season.
Lexi Cushing remains tied with Laura Brockman for the school record with 23 career home runs.

Up Next and Live Stats

Two days of competition at the USF-Clearwater Parks & Recreation Invitational remain for the Blue Raiders. MT will take on Iowa at 11:30 a.m. CT and host team USF at 2 p.m. CT. Both the Hawkeyes and Bulls hold a 1-0 lead in the all-time series against the Blue Raiders entering play on Saturday.

Saturday, March 2
MT vs. Iowa – 11:30 p.m. (Live Stats)
MT vs. USF – 2 p.m. (Live Stats)

Sunday, March 3
MT vs. South Carolina – 8 a.m. (Live Stats)
MT vs. Furman – 10:15 a.m. (Live Stats)

Social Media

For live, in-game updates, follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MT_Softball. You can also keep up with the team on Instagram, @MT_Softball, and on Facebook.