Cushing Breaks Career Home Run Record in Doubleheader

Saturday, March 16

San Antonio, Texas

1 PM

Middle Tennessee

14-13, 0-1

UTSA

13-11, 4-0

Middle Tennessee

UTSA

3/16/2019 5:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: @MTAthletics

SAN ANTONIO - On a historic day for Middle Tennessee softball, the Blue Raiders (14-14) dropped both games of a doubleheader with UTSA (13-13) to open Conference USA action in the 2019 campaign.

Sunday, March 17 (Roadrunner Field)
MT at UTSA - 1 p.m. (Live Stats)

Game One: UTSA 5, Middle Tennessee 4

Middle Tennessee struck first in the series with Brooke McClure's first career homer in the second inning, a solo home run. Another MT longball in the third inning made school history, as Lexi Cushing's three-run shot gave her the career home run record.

The Roadrunners climbed out of a 4-0 deficit little by little, starting with a solo home run of their own in the bottom half of the third inning.

Then, in the sixth inning, UTSA started a scoring spree, as one Roadrunner was walked home with the bases loaded. A single and a wild pitch brought around two more Roadrunners to score, and UTSA had its first lead in the ballgame.

MT got the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run to first base in the top of the seventh, but the Roadrunners held on for a tight win in game one of the day.

Game Two: UTSA 6, Middle Tennessee 5

The Blue Raiders scored first and jumped out to a sizeable lead for the second time in as many games on Saturday, as Jocelynn De La Cruz's sacrifice fly to left field scored Summer Burgess.

De La Cruz scored Burgess yet again in the third inning, but the Blue Raiders weren't done scoring in that frame. Cushing knocked her second homer of the day to center field bringing home De La Cruz and Lani Rodriguez, and MT jumped out to a commanding 5-0.

Once again, though, the Roadrunners would not go away quietly. A two-run homer in the third was followed by a solo home run in the fourth, and UTSA clawed back to a 5-3 deficit. The Roadrunners then completed the comeback in the sixth inning with three runs to take the lead. After the Blue Raiders failed to score in the seventh, the Roadrunners claimed their second win of the day.

News and Notes

Lexi Cushing's three-run home run in the third inning gave her the school's career home run record (24).
Corrina Dodd's appearance in the first game of the doubleheader was her team-best 16th entry into the circle.
Sophomore Brooke McClure's home run in the first game of the day was her first career homer.

Next Up

The Blue Raiders and Roadrunners will be back on the campus of UTSA for the third game of the series tomorrow, with action beginning at 1 p.m.

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.