Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Tuesday, April 23
Murfreesboro, TN.
6:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
16-25
7
vs
1
Austin Peay
21-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Austin Peay
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
6
0
Middle Tennessee
0
1
0
2
2
0
2
0
X
7
8
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bair, Carter (1-0)
L: MONAGHAN, Nolan (1-2)
Batting:
2B: TIPLER, Malcolm 1 ; SPAIN, Garrett 1
HR: HEAD, Bobby 1
RBI: HEAD, Bobby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HEAD, Bobby 1
Batting:
2B: Thomas, Brycen 1
HR: Christian, Myles 1
RBI: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Christian, Myles 2 ; Thomas, Brycen 2 ; Carnevale, Nick 1 ; Stratinsky, Brett 1
SH: Carnevale, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Prewett, Darien 2 ; Benefield, Blake 2 ; Christian, Myles 2 ; Thomas, Brycen 1
SB: Prewett, Darien 2
HBP: Benefield, Blake 1 ; Christian, Myles 1
PO: Carnevale, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballRHP/IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballBlue Raiders cap big day with win over APSU
4/23/2019 9:26:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In-state foes have been troublesome for Middle Tennessee this season, but the Blue Raiders used an efficient game to beat Austin Peay Tuesday on a big day for some seniors.
The blue and white needed just eight hits and used three pitchers to limit a good Governors offense to a single run in a 7-1 home win, breaking a four-game losing streak. Earlier in the day, 10 baseball players were handed degrees in a special graduation ceremony.
"I just feel like we started a winning streak; that sounds better than ending a losing streak," MT head coach Jim Toman said. "We played about as well as we can play. That was probably our most complete game in a long time.
"This was just a big day for our program."
As their offense got rolling thanks to some walks and timely hits, the Blue Raiders (16-25) used two pitchers to get through eight innings. Austin Peay (21-18) went into the night averaging more than six runs per game, but couldn't capitalize on six hits.
Freshman Josh Young got his fourth start and looked strong, scattering three hits over three innings and striking out three before handing the ball over.
Senior Carter Bair went to the mound in relief in the fourth inning, and while the walk from the bullpen may have been long, it was far from his most important of the day.
On his 23rd birthday, Bair was among the Blue Raiders who walked in the special graduation ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
He capped his big day with his first win of the season, tossing five innings and allowing just one run on two hits, striking out six.
"It's been crazy," Bair said. "Starting off graduating, and everyone on social media telling me happy birthday – it's been a blessing.
"I was able to locate my off speed really well [today]. That was effective."
Junior Grant Williams relieved Bair in the ninth inning, sending Austin Peay back to Clarksville after allowing a hit and striking out two.
Middle Tennessee's pitchers didn't walk a single batter all night long, but the Blue Raiders were fortunate enough to be granted some from the Governors.
The first three MT runs were scored by batters who were walked, Myles Christian in the bottom of the second inning and Blake Benefield and Brycen Thomas in the fourth.
"We got really timely hitting with two outs," Toman said. "We stole a couple of bases and had some infield hits … and we got a couple of breaks on some balls, too."
After Thomas drove in his second run of the night with a single in the fifth, the Blue Raiders had opened a 5-1 advantage before Christian padded the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh, his team-high-tying ninth of the year.
Thomas finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a double, walk and run scored, while Christian added two RBIs in a 1-for-2 night. He scored two runs and was walked and hit by a pitch. Seniors Blake Benefield and Brett Stratinsky and sophomore Nick Carnevale also drove in runs.
Middle Tennessee will need to keep the efficient play going with an important three-game weekend series upcoming against Conference USA-leading Southern Miss.
"Pretty much all three facets of the game we played well in today," Toman said. "If we do that, we'll win some ball games."
Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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.
The blue and white needed just eight hits and used three pitchers to limit a good Governors offense to a single run in a 7-1 home win, breaking a four-game losing streak. Earlier in the day, 10 baseball players were handed degrees in a special graduation ceremony.
"I just feel like we started a winning streak; that sounds better than ending a losing streak," MT head coach Jim Toman said. "We played about as well as we can play. That was probably our most complete game in a long time.
"This was just a big day for our program."
As their offense got rolling thanks to some walks and timely hits, the Blue Raiders (16-25) used two pitchers to get through eight innings. Austin Peay (21-18) went into the night averaging more than six runs per game, but couldn't capitalize on six hits.
Freshman Josh Young got his fourth start and looked strong, scattering three hits over three innings and striking out three before handing the ball over.
Senior Carter Bair went to the mound in relief in the fourth inning, and while the walk from the bullpen may have been long, it was far from his most important of the day.
On his 23rd birthday, Bair was among the Blue Raiders who walked in the special graduation ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
He capped his big day with his first win of the season, tossing five innings and allowing just one run on two hits, striking out six.
"It's been crazy," Bair said. "Starting off graduating, and everyone on social media telling me happy birthday – it's been a blessing.
"I was able to locate my off speed really well [today]. That was effective."
Junior Grant Williams relieved Bair in the ninth inning, sending Austin Peay back to Clarksville after allowing a hit and striking out two.
Middle Tennessee's pitchers didn't walk a single batter all night long, but the Blue Raiders were fortunate enough to be granted some from the Governors.
The first three MT runs were scored by batters who were walked, Myles Christian in the bottom of the second inning and Blake Benefield and Brycen Thomas in the fourth.
"We got really timely hitting with two outs," Toman said. "We stole a couple of bases and had some infield hits … and we got a couple of breaks on some balls, too."
After Thomas drove in his second run of the night with a single in the fifth, the Blue Raiders had opened a 5-1 advantage before Christian padded the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh, his team-high-tying ninth of the year.
Thomas finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a double, walk and run scored, while Christian added two RBIs in a 1-for-2 night. He scored two runs and was walked and hit by a pitch. Seniors Blake Benefield and Brett Stratinsky and sophomore Nick Carnevale also drove in runs.
Middle Tennessee will need to keep the efficient play going with an important three-game weekend series upcoming against Conference USA-leading Southern Miss.
"Pretty much all three facets of the game we played well in today," Toman said. "If we do that, we'll win some ball games."
Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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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