Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, March 12
Murfreesboro, TN
3:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
7-8
8
vs
0
Dayton
4-5
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Dayton
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
Middle Tennessee
0
6
1
0
1
8
9
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baldwin, Amber (4-3)
L: BAILITZ, Sarah (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Cushing, Lexi 1 ; Smith, Claire 1
RBI: Burgess, Summer 1 ; Cushing, Lexi 3 ; De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1 ; Smith, Claire 1 ; King, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hill, Kelci 1 ; Cushing, Lexi 1 ; Richetto, Kaylee 1 ; Smith, Claire 1 ; Rodriguez, Lani 1 ; Harris, Amaya 1 ; King, Ryan 1 ; Tath-Slezak, Nahri 1
SB: Freeman, Savannah 1 ; Herring, Jaya 1 ; Harris, Amaya 1 ; Tath-Slezak, Nahri 2
HBP: Richetto, Kaylee 1 ; Marinakis, Mia 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
dp/3b
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball1B
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P/1B
/ Softball
MT wins twice in home opener
3/12/2021 7:55:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee loved getting a double dose of some home cooking Friday.
After starting their season with 14 straight games away from Murfreesboro, the Blue Raiders (8-8) began the MTSU Invitational with two wins, 8-0 against Dayton then a 4-3 extra-innings victory over North Dakota State in the evening finale.
"Our kids were really enthused about being home, and it wasn't great weather today, but our fans came out," head coach Jeff Breeden said. "I think our stadium is really impressive, and the show the kids put on today should make the fans want to come back and watch again."
Game 1: MT 8, Dayton 0
The Blue Raiders cruised through the first game against Dayton to an 8-0 win in five innings.
MT broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second in a big way with six runs, including three from a bases-loaded double off the center field wall from Lexi Cushing. She finished 2-3 and scored a run
Middle Tennessee added runs in the third and fifth while starter Amber Baldwin dominated. She went all five innings, only allowing one baserunner, a single from the first batter of the game. She retired the last 14 batters Dayton sent to the plate.
Game 2: MT 4, Dayton 3
The second game of the day for MT was much more thrilling than the first.
The Bison got two unearned runs off Raider starter in the top of the fourth, and the NDSU starter made things tough for MT's lineup until the blue and white broke through in the last few innings.
Middle Tennessee cut the deficit in half with a Kelci Hill RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, then Cushing hit a mammoth home run the next inning to tie the score and send the game to extra innings. It was the program's all-time home run and RBI leader's second blast of the season.
"We have a lot of fight about us," Breeden said. "We hung around, hung around, and scored when we needed to. Lexi's big blast that went forever out there into the darkness got us a little juiced up."
North Dakota State scored once in the top of the eighth to begin extra innings, but MT quickly tied things in the bottom with no outs, and a bases-loaded single from Mia Marinakis sent everyone home.
Hill finished the second game 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Cushing was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Corrina Dodd lasted 7.1 innings, striking out seven with one walk, and all three runs she gave up were unearned. Kailey Ahlstrom closed out the last two outs to earn the win.
"Our pitching were great all day today," Breeden said. "Amber dominated the first game, and Corrina held down a really good ball team. … That's what we're looking for from our pitchers."
The Blue Raiders will continue the MTSU Invitational Saturday. They'll play Illinois State at 12:30 p.m. then a semifinal game later on.
After starting their season with 14 straight games away from Murfreesboro, the Blue Raiders (8-8) began the MTSU Invitational with two wins, 8-0 against Dayton then a 4-3 extra-innings victory over North Dakota State in the evening finale.
"Our kids were really enthused about being home, and it wasn't great weather today, but our fans came out," head coach Jeff Breeden said. "I think our stadium is really impressive, and the show the kids put on today should make the fans want to come back and watch again."
Game 1: MT 8, Dayton 0
The Blue Raiders cruised through the first game against Dayton to an 8-0 win in five innings.
MT broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second in a big way with six runs, including three from a bases-loaded double off the center field wall from Lexi Cushing. She finished 2-3 and scored a run
Middle Tennessee added runs in the third and fifth while starter Amber Baldwin dominated. She went all five innings, only allowing one baserunner, a single from the first batter of the game. She retired the last 14 batters Dayton sent to the plate.
Game 2: MT 4, Dayton 3
The second game of the day for MT was much more thrilling than the first.
The Bison got two unearned runs off Raider starter in the top of the fourth, and the NDSU starter made things tough for MT's lineup until the blue and white broke through in the last few innings.
Middle Tennessee cut the deficit in half with a Kelci Hill RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, then Cushing hit a mammoth home run the next inning to tie the score and send the game to extra innings. It was the program's all-time home run and RBI leader's second blast of the season.
"We have a lot of fight about us," Breeden said. "We hung around, hung around, and scored when we needed to. Lexi's big blast that went forever out there into the darkness got us a little juiced up."
North Dakota State scored once in the top of the eighth to begin extra innings, but MT quickly tied things in the bottom with no outs, and a bases-loaded single from Mia Marinakis sent everyone home.
Hill finished the second game 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Cushing was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Corrina Dodd lasted 7.1 innings, striking out seven with one walk, and all three runs she gave up were unearned. Kailey Ahlstrom closed out the last two outs to earn the win.
"Our pitching were great all day today," Breeden said. "Amber dominated the first game, and Corrina held down a really good ball team. … That's what we're looking for from our pitchers."
The Blue Raiders will continue the MTSU Invitational Saturday. They'll play Illinois State at 12:30 p.m. then a semifinal game later on.
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