Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Blue Raiders Fall in Series Finale at Southern Miss
5/9/2021 5:39:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Middle Tennessee baseball team dropped the final game of the four-game series to No. 19 Southern Miss 9-5 in Hattiesburg. Down 9-1 entering the ninth inning, the Blue Raiders (21-25-1, C-USA 10-17-1) scored four runs on four hits including back-to-back pinch-hit home runs off the bats of Jacob Williams and Justin Medlin, but couldn't keep the rally going.
"We didn't quit," said Head Coach Jim Toman. "We were down bad and had a rough weekend, but we certainly didn't quit. These guys don't have any quit in them. We came back and if we got another hit and another wind-blown home run it's tied up. We came close, but Southern Miss was the best team I thought that we've faced all year."
Southern Miss took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first inning that scored a Golden Eagle runner from second base.
Following a leadoff double and a stolen base from Hunter Sullivan, Blue Raider were able to even the score on a sac fly from Briggs Rutter in the top of the third inning.
The Golden Eagles reclaimed the lead in the next half inning on a pair of Southern Miss singles and a wild pitch, bringing the score to 2-1.
Southern Miss extended their lead over the next three innings, scoring seven runs on four hits, one home run, and a Blue Raider error.
MT starting pitcher Peyton Wigginton tossed 5.1 innings, allowed eight runs, four eared, and fanned four, bringing his record to 3-3 on the year.
"[Wigginton] competed," said Toman. "I believe his first two runs were unearned… In the sixth inning he got a little tired and went walk, error, walk. Usually when that happens it's two or three [runs] in the inning and it ended up being five [runs]."
The Blue Raiders entered the top of the ninth trailing by eight. With one out in the inning, Jacob Williams pinch-hit for JT Mabry and took the first pitch he saw deep, hitting it over the left field wall and closing the Southern Miss lead to 9-2.
Williams' blast was the first pinch-hit home run since Phil Kunsa hit one in the eighth inning vs. Kennesaw State on March 4, 2017.
The following batter Justin Medlin, who pinch-hit for Brett Coker, waited one pitch before belting the Blue Raiders' second pinch-hit home run of the inning over the right field wall making it a 9-3 game.
A Southern Miss error, a walk, and a pair of singles added two more runs to the MT total shoring the lead to 9-5.
However, four runs were all the Raiders could get back in the last inning and that's where the game would stay.
Following the series in Hattiesburg, the Blue Raiders will close out conference play at home with a series against FIU on May 14-16. MT, FIU, Rice, and UAB are all in contention for the final spot in the C-USA Tournament.
"FIU has a lot of good hitters," said Toman. "We have to flush these past two weekends where we're really close to winning against two top 25 teams and just be as positive as we can be this week and have a good week of practice."
For more on the Blue Raiders, follow us on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
"We didn't quit," said Head Coach Jim Toman. "We were down bad and had a rough weekend, but we certainly didn't quit. These guys don't have any quit in them. We came back and if we got another hit and another wind-blown home run it's tied up. We came close, but Southern Miss was the best team I thought that we've faced all year."
Southern Miss took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first inning that scored a Golden Eagle runner from second base.
Following a leadoff double and a stolen base from Hunter Sullivan, Blue Raider were able to even the score on a sac fly from Briggs Rutter in the top of the third inning.
The Golden Eagles reclaimed the lead in the next half inning on a pair of Southern Miss singles and a wild pitch, bringing the score to 2-1.
Southern Miss extended their lead over the next three innings, scoring seven runs on four hits, one home run, and a Blue Raider error.
MT starting pitcher Peyton Wigginton tossed 5.1 innings, allowed eight runs, four eared, and fanned four, bringing his record to 3-3 on the year.
"[Wigginton] competed," said Toman. "I believe his first two runs were unearned… In the sixth inning he got a little tired and went walk, error, walk. Usually when that happens it's two or three [runs] in the inning and it ended up being five [runs]."
The Blue Raiders entered the top of the ninth trailing by eight. With one out in the inning, Jacob Williams pinch-hit for JT Mabry and took the first pitch he saw deep, hitting it over the left field wall and closing the Southern Miss lead to 9-2.
Williams' blast was the first pinch-hit home run since Phil Kunsa hit one in the eighth inning vs. Kennesaw State on March 4, 2017.
The following batter Justin Medlin, who pinch-hit for Brett Coker, waited one pitch before belting the Blue Raiders' second pinch-hit home run of the inning over the right field wall making it a 9-3 game.
A Southern Miss error, a walk, and a pair of singles added two more runs to the MT total shoring the lead to 9-5.
However, four runs were all the Raiders could get back in the last inning and that's where the game would stay.
Following the series in Hattiesburg, the Blue Raiders will close out conference play at home with a series against FIU on May 14-16. MT, FIU, Rice, and UAB are all in contention for the final spot in the C-USA Tournament.
"FIU has a lot of good hitters," said Toman. "We have to flush these past two weekends where we're really close to winning against two top 25 teams and just be as positive as we can be this week and have a good week of practice."
For more on the Blue Raiders, follow us on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boyd, Drew (4-2)
L: Wigginton, Peyton (3-3)

Batting:
2B: Coker, Brett 1 ; Sullivan, Hunter 1
HR: Williams, Jacob 1 ; Medlin, Justin 1
RBI: Williams, Jacob 1 ; Medlin, Justin 1 ; Dillingham, Brian 2 ; Rutter, Briggs 1
SF: Rutter, Briggs 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, Jacob 1 ; Medlin, Justin 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Sullivan, Hunter 1
SB: Sullivan, Hunter 1

Batting:
2B: Trimble, Reed 1
HR: McGillis, Will 1
RBI: Trimble, Reed 4 ; Fischer, Charlie 1 ; McGillis, Will 2 ; Dickerson, Dustin 1
SH: Lynch, Danny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Trimble, Reed 2 ; Ewing, Reece 2 ; Lynch, Danny 1 ; McGillis, Will 1 ; Johnson, Blake 1 ; Dickerson, Dustin 2
SB: Trimble, Reed 1
HBP: Johnson, Blake 1
Game Leaders
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