Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday, April 17
Murfreesboro, TN
2:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
19-18, 5-5
2
vs
3
Western Kentucky
16-7, 1-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Western Kentucky
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
3
4
1
Middle Tennessee
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Shelby Nunn (7-0)
L: Baldwin, Amber (7-7)
Batting:
RBI: Taylor Davis 1 ; Kennedy Sullivan 1 ; Princess Valencia 1
SH: Jordan Ridge 1
SF: Princess Valencia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Paige Carter 1 ; Taylor Sanders 1 ; Maddie Bowlds 1
Batting:
2B: Hutchinson, Makenzie 1 ; De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1
RBI: De La Cruz, Jocelynn 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hill, Kelci 1 ; Hutchinson, Makenzie 1
CS: Smith, Claire 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball3B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Blue Raiders split Saturday afternoon twin bill with Western Kentucky
4/17/2021 7:55:00 PM | Softball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee's Makenzie Hutchinson was reasonably upset after missing a home run by mere inches in game one that could've been the difference as the Blue Raiders (20-18, 6-5) dropped game one against Western Kentucky (16-8, 1-2) on a late run in the seventh inning.
With her team down 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning in game two, Hutchinson headed into the box with runners on first and second and nobody out. The freshman didn't want another reason to be upset, and she took advantage of the opportunity. The Blue Raider designated player spun her hands around quickly and pulled an inside pitch over the wall in left field to give the Blue Raiders a 3-1 lead.
It was a pivotal moment for the slugging freshman in MTSU's 5-4 game-two win.
Game one
A quick start wasn't enough for Middle Tennessee in the first of a Saturday afternoon twin-bill in Murfreesboro as it fell to rival Western Kentucky by a score of 3-2.
The Blue Raiders jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage thanks to some back-to-back doubles out of Hutchinson and Jocelynn De La Cruz. Hutchinson's nearly left the yard had it not been for a strong gust of wind blowing in from home plate, but she was driven in the next at-bat by De La Cruz, who smoked one to the base of the wall in left center. For De La Cruz, it was her fourth double of the season.
Western Kentucky responded in the third inning with three singles that netted the Hilltoppers two runs. The inning ended on a heads-up play by Blue Raider catcher Ryan King. Western Kentucky's Kennedy Sullivan singled to center field to tie the game at two. Sullivan got a bit too greedy, however, as she tried to stretch it out to two bases when Blue Raider centerfielder Kelci Hill made a throw to home plate in an attempt to cut down the tying run. King alertly fielded the throw and gunned Sullivan down at second base, ending the WKU threat.
King's battery-mate Amber Baldwin had a solid afternoon. The California native gave up just three runs and sat the Hilltoppers down in order in four of her 6.1 innings of work. Aside from the third inning, her only blemish came in the top of the seventh when Western Kentucky was able to manufacture the eventual winning run after getting that runner to third base with just one out.
Western Kentucky starter Shelby Nunn gave up just two runs and picked up the win working a complete game. The right-hander struck out three and didn't walk a batter.
Game two
Hutchinson's third inning home run and De La Cruz's walk-off in the ninth inning helped MTSU end the day with a 2-1 lead in the series. The extra-innings win was the sixth of the year for Middle Tennessee, tying the program's record set in 1999.
Western Kentucky scored the game's first run in the second inning when a two-out single by nine-hole hitter TJ Webster gave the Hilltoppers an early 1-0 lead. With runners on second and third, MTSU starter Kailey Ahlstrom got WKU leadoff hitter Paige Carter to fly out to second base to quickly stop the bleeding.
That lead was erased in the bottom of the third by Hutchinson, who ended the afternoon 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run.
In the circle for Middle Tennessee, Ahlstrom went 4.2 innings before being relieved by yesterday's winning pitcher Corrina Dodd. A few unearned runs allowed by Dodd in the fifth inning gave WKU a 4-3 lead that would only last for a half inning.
Dodd earned her second win of the weekend to push her season record to 7-3. The right-hander allowed just two hits and lowered her season ERA to 2.40.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Claire Smith doubled to send pinch-runner Jaya Herring to third base, where the speedy freshman scored on a wild pitch to tie things up at four, setting the table for another pivotal moment in the second game of the afternoon.
With Hill on first base and De La Cruz at the plate with two outs, the Blue Raider third baseman hit a bleeder to the right side of the Western Kentucky infield. The WKU throw sailed over the first baseman's head, bringing Hill all the way around to score the winning run.
What's next?
MTSU will wrap up the weekend against the Hilltoppers tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. CT. Fans must practice social distancing and wear a mask while in attendance.
Anthony Fiorella is a writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MT_Softball on Twitter and @mt_softball on Instagram for more on the Blue Raiders.
With her team down 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning in game two, Hutchinson headed into the box with runners on first and second and nobody out. The freshman didn't want another reason to be upset, and she took advantage of the opportunity. The Blue Raider designated player spun her hands around quickly and pulled an inside pitch over the wall in left field to give the Blue Raiders a 3-1 lead.
It was a pivotal moment for the slugging freshman in MTSU's 5-4 game-two win.
Game one
A quick start wasn't enough for Middle Tennessee in the first of a Saturday afternoon twin-bill in Murfreesboro as it fell to rival Western Kentucky by a score of 3-2.
The Blue Raiders jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage thanks to some back-to-back doubles out of Hutchinson and Jocelynn De La Cruz. Hutchinson's nearly left the yard had it not been for a strong gust of wind blowing in from home plate, but she was driven in the next at-bat by De La Cruz, who smoked one to the base of the wall in left center. For De La Cruz, it was her fourth double of the season.
Western Kentucky responded in the third inning with three singles that netted the Hilltoppers two runs. The inning ended on a heads-up play by Blue Raider catcher Ryan King. Western Kentucky's Kennedy Sullivan singled to center field to tie the game at two. Sullivan got a bit too greedy, however, as she tried to stretch it out to two bases when Blue Raider centerfielder Kelci Hill made a throw to home plate in an attempt to cut down the tying run. King alertly fielded the throw and gunned Sullivan down at second base, ending the WKU threat.
King's battery-mate Amber Baldwin had a solid afternoon. The California native gave up just three runs and sat the Hilltoppers down in order in four of her 6.1 innings of work. Aside from the third inning, her only blemish came in the top of the seventh when Western Kentucky was able to manufacture the eventual winning run after getting that runner to third base with just one out.
Western Kentucky starter Shelby Nunn gave up just two runs and picked up the win working a complete game. The right-hander struck out three and didn't walk a batter.
Game two
Hutchinson's third inning home run and De La Cruz's walk-off in the ninth inning helped MTSU end the day with a 2-1 lead in the series. The extra-innings win was the sixth of the year for Middle Tennessee, tying the program's record set in 1999.
Western Kentucky scored the game's first run in the second inning when a two-out single by nine-hole hitter TJ Webster gave the Hilltoppers an early 1-0 lead. With runners on second and third, MTSU starter Kailey Ahlstrom got WKU leadoff hitter Paige Carter to fly out to second base to quickly stop the bleeding.
That lead was erased in the bottom of the third by Hutchinson, who ended the afternoon 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run.
In the circle for Middle Tennessee, Ahlstrom went 4.2 innings before being relieved by yesterday's winning pitcher Corrina Dodd. A few unearned runs allowed by Dodd in the fifth inning gave WKU a 4-3 lead that would only last for a half inning.
Dodd earned her second win of the weekend to push her season record to 7-3. The right-hander allowed just two hits and lowered her season ERA to 2.40.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Claire Smith doubled to send pinch-runner Jaya Herring to third base, where the speedy freshman scored on a wild pitch to tie things up at four, setting the table for another pivotal moment in the second game of the afternoon.
With Hill on first base and De La Cruz at the plate with two outs, the Blue Raider third baseman hit a bleeder to the right side of the Western Kentucky infield. The WKU throw sailed over the first baseman's head, bringing Hill all the way around to score the winning run.
What's next?
MTSU will wrap up the weekend against the Hilltoppers tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. CT. Fans must practice social distancing and wear a mask while in attendance.
Anthony Fiorella is a writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MT_Softball on Twitter and @mt_softball on Instagram for more on the Blue Raiders.
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