Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
9-14, 0
LA Tech
14-9, 0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Logan Bailey (2-3)
L: Keenan, Zach (1-3)
S: Braxton Smith (3)
Batting:
2B: Mason Mallard 1 ; Steele Netterville 2
HR: Philip Matulia 1 ; Blake Johnson 1
RBI: Mason Robinson 1 ; Steele Netterville 1 ; Tanner Huddleston 2 ; Philip Matulia 4 ; Blake Johnson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Mason Mallard 1 ; Mason Robinson 2 ; Chris Clayton 2 ; Steele Netterville 1 ; Tanner Huddleston 1 ; Philip Matulia 2 ; Blake Johnson 1
SB: Taylor Young 1 ; Chris Clayton 1
CS: Mason Mallard 1 ; Mason Robinson 1
HBP: Chris Clayton 1 ; Steele Netterville 1
Batting:
2B: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Parker, Tanner 1
HR: Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Christian, Myles 2
RBI: Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 1 ; Christian, Myles 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 2 ; Christian, Myles 2
SB: Freeman Jr., Darrell 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Blue Raiders come up short in rubber-match with LA Tech despite four home runs
3/24/2019 4:31:00 PM | Baseball
"I think with the warmer weather and the wind blowing out we knew it'd be a game where if you hit the ball in the air it was going (out of the park) today because we hit a bunch (of home runs) in batting practice," said MTSU Head Coach Jim Toman. "If you'd have told me before the game that we'd hit four home runs, I probably wouldn't have signed for that. But it only added up to five runs since three were solo home runs. We started off really good, but those middle innings just got us."
In the first inning, Aaron Antonini ripped a one-out pitch over the "MT" logo in right-center field for his fourth home run of the season. It's the third game in a row the junior backstop has left the yard for MTSU, the longest such streak of his career.
Antonini's first-inning solo-shot was followed up by a Myles Christian home run off the right-field foul pole in the bottom of the second to push the MTSU lead out to 2-0. The sophomore middle-infielder capped off a big weekend with another home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The two-run bomb over the right-center field wall brought the Blue Raiders back to within two after Louisiana Tech jumped out to a 7-3 lead heading into the inning. With a runner on first and one out in the eighth inning, Christian flashed the leather by running down a ball in foul territory to make a sliding catch for the second out of the inning. The Mississippi native had the Bulldogs' number over the weekend, hitting at a .400 clip with two home runs, three RBIs and a walk.
"(Christian) has moved up in the box a bit and is getting a different angle on seeing pitches and I think he likes the warmer weather, too," Toman said. "With the warmer weather and wind blowing on him, he seems to hit a lot better."
Senior outfielder Blake Benefield left the yard for the third time this season in the third inning, giving Middle Tennessee three home runs in the first three innings of the contest. He added to his home run with a leadoff double down that hugged the left-field line in the sixth inning.
Middle Tennessee heads to Clarksville Tuesday for a mid-week matchup with in-state foe Austin Peay this Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Anthony Fiorella is a student writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
