Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Wednesday, April 28
Clarksville, TN
5:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
24-20
3
at
2
Austin Peay
23-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
5
0
Austin Peay
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
5
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ahlstrom, Kailey (6-1)
L: BENEFIEL, Jordan (7-5)
Batting:
HR: Cushing, Lexi 1
RBI: Cushing, Lexi 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Hill, Kelci 1 ; De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1 ; Cushing, Lexi 1
CS: Freeman, Savannah 1
Batting:
RBI: DUDLEY, Drew 1 ; PFEFFERLE, Brooke 1
SH: HARKLEROAD, Emily 1 ; GRAY, Kelsey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: OSOWSKI, Lexi 1 ; GROSS, Kelsey 1
HBP: GROSS, Kelsey 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballSS
/ Softball1B
/ Softball3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Cushing hits go-ahead homer late in win at Austin Peay
4/28/2021 7:30:00 PM | Softball
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — After a slow start at the plate, Middle Tennessee showed flashes of fight in the fourth and fifth innings before Lexi Cushing hit a three-run homer and the Blue Raiders (24-20, 9-7 C-USA) took the lead for good in the sixth inning at Austin Peay (23-13, 18-10 OVC).
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
» Wednesday's game is the makeup date from the originally-scheduled March 17 matchup between the Blue Raiders and Governors.
» The first two innings went quickly with just one hit from both teams. Jocelynn De La Cruz opened up MT's second turn at the dish with a single to the left side, but MT was kept from advancing past first base.
» MT didn't advance past first in the third inning either despite walks in the frame by Ryan King and Summer Burgess.
» Austin Peay failed in its first scoring chance of the game, stranding a runner at third base in the third inning.
» The Govs didn't fail in their next scoring opportunity, however. A walk and a hit by pitch to lead off their fourth inning turn resulted in a 2-0 lead midway through the game.
» Kailey Ahlstrom entered out of the bullpen and made an immediate impact, striking out the only batter she faced in the fourth inning and making an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
» Kelci Hill led off the sixth inning with a walk, and after De La Cruz singled for the second time, MT had a runner in scoring position for the first time all day.
» Cushing then crushed a ball over the centerfield fence to give her team a 3-2 lead, which held through the remainder of the game. Wednesday night's round-tripper was the 49th of Cushing's career.
» Ahlstrom allowed just one baserunner in her 3.1 innings out of the bullpen and moved to 6-1 on the year after earning the win.
» MT is now 11-4 in one-run games this season.
QUOTES FROM THE BLUE RAIDERS
» Head Coach Jeff Breeden on Lexi Cushing's sixth-inning home run: "Lexi came up big with her timely bomb. With Lexi, we're just looking at her RBI numbers, and she provided that tonight."
» Breeden on Kailey Ahlstrom's performance in relief: "Ahlstrom has been really consistent and clutch for us over the last few weeks. It's really nice to know what kind of effort and results we can expect from her outings. She's doing a great job of consistently competing in every situation she's put in."
» First baseman Lexi Cushing on her go-ahead homer: "After my first two at bats, I wasn't quite feeling myself in my swings, so I was mostly focused on taking hacks. I knew that if I hit the ball hard in play that good things would happen. I heard the dugout yelling 'Sit on the change,' so I was ready for the pitch and took a big cut."
» Cushing on playing her final regular season series at home next weekend: "I'm excited to get to play at home next weekend, but knowing that it'll be my last, I'm going to try to soak it all in while I can. I know my team loves playing at home, so I'm excited to see what we can do in our final series."
» Pitcher Kailey Ahlstrom on coming into games out of the bullpen: "When I'm in the bullpen warming up to go in as relief, I always take the time to get myself ready physically and mentally. I try to take that time to clear my mind and stay relaxed. Then, when I go out to throw in the game, I know I can just trust myself and throw my pitches well without stressing about the situation I'm in because I prepared myself for that in the bullpen."
» Ahlstrom on her team's competitiveness in tight games: "This team is great in close games because we prepare for it in both hitting and fielding practice. We know how to take our time and not rush through games despite the stress that comes with close games. Plus, we all have a drive to win, so that helps us stay focused on every pitch."
NEXT UP
» Middle Tennessee vs. FIU — May 7-9
» 10% maximum capacity; masks and social distancing required
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Softball), Facebook (Blue Raider Softball) and Instagram (@mt_softball).
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 3, AUSTIN PEAY 2
» Wednesday's game is the makeup date from the originally-scheduled March 17 matchup between the Blue Raiders and Governors.
» The first two innings went quickly with just one hit from both teams. Jocelynn De La Cruz opened up MT's second turn at the dish with a single to the left side, but MT was kept from advancing past first base.
» MT didn't advance past first in the third inning either despite walks in the frame by Ryan King and Summer Burgess.
» Austin Peay failed in its first scoring chance of the game, stranding a runner at third base in the third inning.
» The Govs didn't fail in their next scoring opportunity, however. A walk and a hit by pitch to lead off their fourth inning turn resulted in a 2-0 lead midway through the game.
» Kailey Ahlstrom entered out of the bullpen and made an immediate impact, striking out the only batter she faced in the fourth inning and making an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
» Kelci Hill led off the sixth inning with a walk, and after De La Cruz singled for the second time, MT had a runner in scoring position for the first time all day.
» Cushing then crushed a ball over the centerfield fence to give her team a 3-2 lead, which held through the remainder of the game. Wednesday night's round-tripper was the 49th of Cushing's career.
» Ahlstrom allowed just one baserunner in her 3.1 innings out of the bullpen and moved to 6-1 on the year after earning the win.
» MT is now 11-4 in one-run games this season.
QUOTES FROM THE BLUE RAIDERS
» Head Coach Jeff Breeden on Lexi Cushing's sixth-inning home run: "Lexi came up big with her timely bomb. With Lexi, we're just looking at her RBI numbers, and she provided that tonight."
» Breeden on Kailey Ahlstrom's performance in relief: "Ahlstrom has been really consistent and clutch for us over the last few weeks. It's really nice to know what kind of effort and results we can expect from her outings. She's doing a great job of consistently competing in every situation she's put in."
» First baseman Lexi Cushing on her go-ahead homer: "After my first two at bats, I wasn't quite feeling myself in my swings, so I was mostly focused on taking hacks. I knew that if I hit the ball hard in play that good things would happen. I heard the dugout yelling 'Sit on the change,' so I was ready for the pitch and took a big cut."
» Cushing on playing her final regular season series at home next weekend: "I'm excited to get to play at home next weekend, but knowing that it'll be my last, I'm going to try to soak it all in while I can. I know my team loves playing at home, so I'm excited to see what we can do in our final series."
» Pitcher Kailey Ahlstrom on coming into games out of the bullpen: "When I'm in the bullpen warming up to go in as relief, I always take the time to get myself ready physically and mentally. I try to take that time to clear my mind and stay relaxed. Then, when I go out to throw in the game, I know I can just trust myself and throw my pitches well without stressing about the situation I'm in because I prepared myself for that in the bullpen."
» Ahlstrom on her team's competitiveness in tight games: "This team is great in close games because we prepare for it in both hitting and fielding practice. We know how to take our time and not rush through games despite the stress that comes with close games. Plus, we all have a drive to win, so that helps us stay focused on every pitch."
NEXT UP
» Middle Tennessee vs. FIU — May 7-9
» 10% maximum capacity; masks and social distancing required
Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Softball), Facebook (Blue Raider Softball) and Instagram (@mt_softball).
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