Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, April 12
Murfreesboro, TN.
4:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
13-21, 0
8
vs
10
UAB
16-19, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
UAB
0
0
0
0
0
3
5
1
1
10
13
5
Middle Tennessee
0
1
5
0
1
0
0
0
1
8
8
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ASHCRAFT, Graham (2-3)
L: Paulk, Scheldon (1-2)
S: CALVERT, Matthew (1)
Batting:
2B: WALTMAN, Christian 1
3B: WILEY, Justin 1
HR: DAVIS, Zack 1
RBI: DAVIS, Jess 2 ; DAVIS, Zack 3 ; LADNER, Ian 2 ; JOHNSON, Blake 2 ; WILEY, Justin 1
SH: PHARIS, Carter 1 ; WILEY, Justin 1
SF: DAVIS, Jess 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DAVIS, Jess 1 ; SCHULTZ, Colton 2 ; DAVIS, Zack 3 ; PHARIS, Carter 1 ; TOLBERT, Tyler 1 ; WALTMAN, Christian 1 ; WILEY, Justin 1
SB: DAVIS, Jess 1 ; SCHULTZ, Colton 1 ; DAVIS, Zack 2 ; TOLBERT, Tyler 2 ; WALTMAN, Christian 1
Batting:
2B: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Freeman Jr., Darrell 1
RBI: Christian, Myles 1 ; Carnevale, Nick 2 ; Parker, Tanner 1 ; Thomas, Brycen 2
SF: Thomas, Brycen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Antonini, Aaron 1 ; Benefield, Blake 2 ; Christian, Myles 1 ; Wigginton, Peyton 3 ; Carnevale, Nick 1
SB: Prewett, Darien 1
CS: Christian, Myles 1
HBP: Benefield, Blake 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
MT splits doubleheader against UAB
4/12/2019 11:38:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – With impending rain threatening to sit over Murfreesboro over the weekend, Middle Tennessee and UAB kicked off a three-game series with a doubleheader Friday.
In the first game, the Blue Raiders (14-21, 8-6) raced out to a big lead early before losing both the advantage and the contest. The Blazers (16-20, 3-11) ended up winning 10-8.
The second contest was another tight one, with MT breaking a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and winning 7-3.
"It was really hard in the second game to believe in yourself and have energy when you're so down from the first game," Blue Raiders head coach Jim Toman said. "I'm proud of the guys."
Middle Tennessee 8, UAB 10
After the first five innings of game one, Middle Tennessee thought it held a comfortable 7-0 advantage. Little did the blue and white know, the lead wasn't safe.
The Blazers scored 10 unanswered in the next four innings, plating three in the sixth, five in the seventh and single runs in both the eighth and ninth.
Middle Tennessee tried a last-minute comeback, scoring one in the bottom of the ninth after UAB's fifth error of the game, but it was too little, too late.
The Raiders' early-game onslaught was most impressive in the third inning, when they plated five runs on four hits and benefitted from two Blazer errors.
Myles Christian started the scoring with an RBI single, and Nick Carnevale and Tanner Parker followed with singles of their own, Carnevale scoring two and Parker one. Brycen Thomas also had a sacrifice fly with an RBI in the inning.
Thomas had two RBIs, as did Carnevale on a 2-for-4 night. Peyton Wigginton scored three times, and Benefield crossed home twice.
Carson Lester got the start on the bump for MT, going 6 1/3 innings with five earned runs, seven hits, six strikeouts and a walk. David Zoz, Scheldon Paulk and Tyler Holcombe all pitched in relief.
Blue Raiders 7, Blazers 3
Needing a stellar outing from its starter, Middle Tennessee got just that in the second game.
With their offense struggling to put men on base, the Blue Raiders leaned on sophomore left-hander Peyton Wigginton to keep things close.
After serving as designated hitter in the first game, Wigginton took the mound for his ninth start of the season and delivered a gutsy performance. He exited in a tie at 3 after seven innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out eight on 115 pitches.
It was Wigginton's bat that made the biggest impact, though.
In the bottom of the eighth inning with men on first and second, he smashed a 1-1 pitch into the left-center gap for his first-career double, plating both runners and breaking the tie.
"I felt like I was trying to pull the ball too much, and I went up there and decided to hit the ball where it was pitched," Wigginton said. "I saw an outside fastball, and drove it the other way."
Middle Tennessee would go on to score four runs in the eighth.
Wigginton's double was one of just five hits for the Blue Raiders in the game. While they didn't have many, the few they did have were important.
Senior catcher Aaron Antonini drove in three runs in the third with a towering home run, his seventh of the season. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Sophomore Zach Keenan relieved Wigginton in the eighth and wound up with the win after two innings pitched, striking out five and not allowing a baserunner.
Middle Tennessee is hoping for a performance like Friday's second game when it goes for the series win on Saturday at 4 p.m.
"We've been banged up, but the guys are fighting," Toman said. "We'll figure out the rain tomorrow and figure out when we'll play."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
In the first game, the Blue Raiders (14-21, 8-6) raced out to a big lead early before losing both the advantage and the contest. The Blazers (16-20, 3-11) ended up winning 10-8.
The second contest was another tight one, with MT breaking a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and winning 7-3.
"It was really hard in the second game to believe in yourself and have energy when you're so down from the first game," Blue Raiders head coach Jim Toman said. "I'm proud of the guys."
Middle Tennessee 8, UAB 10
After the first five innings of game one, Middle Tennessee thought it held a comfortable 7-0 advantage. Little did the blue and white know, the lead wasn't safe.
The Blazers scored 10 unanswered in the next four innings, plating three in the sixth, five in the seventh and single runs in both the eighth and ninth.
Middle Tennessee tried a last-minute comeback, scoring one in the bottom of the ninth after UAB's fifth error of the game, but it was too little, too late.
The Raiders' early-game onslaught was most impressive in the third inning, when they plated five runs on four hits and benefitted from two Blazer errors.
Myles Christian started the scoring with an RBI single, and Nick Carnevale and Tanner Parker followed with singles of their own, Carnevale scoring two and Parker one. Brycen Thomas also had a sacrifice fly with an RBI in the inning.
Thomas had two RBIs, as did Carnevale on a 2-for-4 night. Peyton Wigginton scored three times, and Benefield crossed home twice.
Carson Lester got the start on the bump for MT, going 6 1/3 innings with five earned runs, seven hits, six strikeouts and a walk. David Zoz, Scheldon Paulk and Tyler Holcombe all pitched in relief.
Blue Raiders 7, Blazers 3
Needing a stellar outing from its starter, Middle Tennessee got just that in the second game.
With their offense struggling to put men on base, the Blue Raiders leaned on sophomore left-hander Peyton Wigginton to keep things close.
After serving as designated hitter in the first game, Wigginton took the mound for his ninth start of the season and delivered a gutsy performance. He exited in a tie at 3 after seven innings, giving up three earned runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out eight on 115 pitches.
It was Wigginton's bat that made the biggest impact, though.
In the bottom of the eighth inning with men on first and second, he smashed a 1-1 pitch into the left-center gap for his first-career double, plating both runners and breaking the tie.
"I felt like I was trying to pull the ball too much, and I went up there and decided to hit the ball where it was pitched," Wigginton said. "I saw an outside fastball, and drove it the other way."
Middle Tennessee would go on to score four runs in the eighth.
Wigginton's double was one of just five hits for the Blue Raiders in the game. While they didn't have many, the few they did have were important.
Senior catcher Aaron Antonini drove in three runs in the third with a towering home run, his seventh of the season. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Sophomore Zach Keenan relieved Wigginton in the eighth and wound up with the win after two innings pitched, striking out five and not allowing a baserunner.
Middle Tennessee is hoping for a performance like Friday's second game when it goes for the series win on Saturday at 4 p.m.
"We've been banged up, but the guys are fighting," Toman said. "We'll figure out the rain tomorrow and figure out when we'll play."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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