Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, February 18
Tuscaloosa, AL
11:00 AM
Middle Tennessee
2-5
4
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2
Evansville
5-1
1
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4
5
6
7
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H
E
Evansville
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0
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2
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Middle Tennessee
2
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X
4
3
2
Blue Raiders battle tough with No. 8, splitting doubleheader to open Easton Bama Bash
2/18/2022 10:47:00 PM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Middle Tennessee Softball (2-6) opened play in the Easton Bama Bash on Friday, earning an impressive 4-2 win over then-undefeated Evansville (5-2) and falling just short of upsetting No. 8 Virginia Tech (6-1) at Rhoads Stadium.
"I am very proud of our team today! We battled toe-to-toe with the No. 8 team in America," expressed head coach Jeff Breeden. "We didn't get the outcome we wanted, but we got better as a team! We have the GRIT!! We were relentless competitors today! Love our fight!"
Middle Tennessee 4 vs. Evansville 2
The Blue Raiders started the day off hot at the Easton Bama Bash. Sophomore Amaya Harris drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the Blue Raiders. Junior Kelci Hill followed behind, connecting on a bunt single and beating out the pitch to put two on and a runner in scoring position. After moving 60 feet closer on a pair of steals from Harris and Hill, freshman Abby Shoulders drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases for the Blue Raiders with no outs in the first. With the bases loaded and only one out, freshman Laura Mealer battled the Puprle Aces' pitcher to a 10-pitch walk to bring across the Blue Raiders first run of the day, 1-0. Then freshman Claire Czajkowski followed Mealer with a one-out single to left field to push across another run for Middle Tennessee and give the Blue Raiders a 2-0 advantage after one.
Sophomore Shelby Sargent led off the Blue Raiders in the second, reaching first on a bad throw from second base. Harris followed Sargent, laying down a sacrifice bunt to move Sargent to second, before Sargent stole third to position herself 60 feet away from scoring with only one away in the second. Hill reached on an eight-pitch walk, before stealing second to put two in scoring position. With two runners within 120 feet of scoring, Shoulders connected on a two-RBI single to shortstop to plate two more for the Blue Raiders and extend MT's lead to four.
Shoulders led the Blue Raiders in the win, going 1-for-2 and recording two RBIs and drawing a walk. Czajkowski went 1-for-3 and tallied an RBI. Mealer also recorded an RBI and drew a walk. Hill went 1-for-2 on the day and scored two of the Blue Raiders runs. Harris and Sargent recorded the Blue Raiders other two runs.
Keri Munn (1-2) pitched a complete game for the Blue Raiders, securing her first win of the season. Munn threw seven innings of work, producing four strikeouts and allowing only two runs on three hits.
Middle Tennessee 2 vs. No. 8 Virginia Tech 3
The Blue Raiders battled tough against the eighth-ranked team in the nation. The two teams battled through a 0-0 stalemate as the Blue Raiders held the Hokies to only three hits through the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Shoulders led off the Blue Raiders drawing a 10-pitch walk to get things started. Sophomore Makenzie Hutchinson followed Shoulders, hitting a single through the left side to put two on for the Blue Raiders with no outs. A wild pitch advanced Hutchinson and Shoulders 60 feet to put two Blue Raiders in scoring position, Shoulders ran on a wild pitch, beating the throw back home to put the Blue Raiders on top first, 1-0. Czajkowski knocked a one-out RBI double to right-center to plate Hutchinson and give the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead with an inning and a half to play.
The Blue Raiders held the Hokies without a hit in the bottom of the sixth and were within three outs of downing No. 8. The Hokies opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk. After a strikeout, Virginia Tech's Ritter knocked a deep hit into right center to produce an RBI triple and cut the Blue Raiders' lead to one, 2-1. Needing just one more out, the Blue Raiders looked to try and close it out, but VT's Peck was able to connect on a walk-off two-run home run over the right field wall and close out the 3-2 contest.
Czajkowski led the Blue Raiders in the contest, going 1-for-3 and recording an RBI. Hutchinson also had a great game for the Blue Raiders, going 2-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run. Harris also recorded a hit in the contest, going 1-for-4 against the Hokies.
Senior Corrina Dodd (1-2) pitched the complete game for the Blue Raiders, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits and recording a pair of strikeouts.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders continue play in the Easton Bama Bash tomorrow as they take on the host, No. 2 Alabama, at 4 p.m., before playing Evansville again at 6:30 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
"I am very proud of our team today! We battled toe-to-toe with the No. 8 team in America," expressed head coach Jeff Breeden. "We didn't get the outcome we wanted, but we got better as a team! We have the GRIT!! We were relentless competitors today! Love our fight!"
Middle Tennessee 4 vs. Evansville 2
The Blue Raiders started the day off hot at the Easton Bama Bash. Sophomore Amaya Harris drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the Blue Raiders. Junior Kelci Hill followed behind, connecting on a bunt single and beating out the pitch to put two on and a runner in scoring position. After moving 60 feet closer on a pair of steals from Harris and Hill, freshman Abby Shoulders drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases for the Blue Raiders with no outs in the first. With the bases loaded and only one out, freshman Laura Mealer battled the Puprle Aces' pitcher to a 10-pitch walk to bring across the Blue Raiders first run of the day, 1-0. Then freshman Claire Czajkowski followed Mealer with a one-out single to left field to push across another run for Middle Tennessee and give the Blue Raiders a 2-0 advantage after one.
Sophomore Shelby Sargent led off the Blue Raiders in the second, reaching first on a bad throw from second base. Harris followed Sargent, laying down a sacrifice bunt to move Sargent to second, before Sargent stole third to position herself 60 feet away from scoring with only one away in the second. Hill reached on an eight-pitch walk, before stealing second to put two in scoring position. With two runners within 120 feet of scoring, Shoulders connected on a two-RBI single to shortstop to plate two more for the Blue Raiders and extend MT's lead to four.
Shoulders led the Blue Raiders in the win, going 1-for-2 and recording two RBIs and drawing a walk. Czajkowski went 1-for-3 and tallied an RBI. Mealer also recorded an RBI and drew a walk. Hill went 1-for-2 on the day and scored two of the Blue Raiders runs. Harris and Sargent recorded the Blue Raiders other two runs.
Keri Munn (1-2) pitched a complete game for the Blue Raiders, securing her first win of the season. Munn threw seven innings of work, producing four strikeouts and allowing only two runs on three hits.
Middle Tennessee 2 vs. No. 8 Virginia Tech 3
The Blue Raiders battled tough against the eighth-ranked team in the nation. The two teams battled through a 0-0 stalemate as the Blue Raiders held the Hokies to only three hits through the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Shoulders led off the Blue Raiders drawing a 10-pitch walk to get things started. Sophomore Makenzie Hutchinson followed Shoulders, hitting a single through the left side to put two on for the Blue Raiders with no outs. A wild pitch advanced Hutchinson and Shoulders 60 feet to put two Blue Raiders in scoring position, Shoulders ran on a wild pitch, beating the throw back home to put the Blue Raiders on top first, 1-0. Czajkowski knocked a one-out RBI double to right-center to plate Hutchinson and give the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead with an inning and a half to play.
The Blue Raiders held the Hokies without a hit in the bottom of the sixth and were within three outs of downing No. 8. The Hokies opened the bottom of the seventh with a walk. After a strikeout, Virginia Tech's Ritter knocked a deep hit into right center to produce an RBI triple and cut the Blue Raiders' lead to one, 2-1. Needing just one more out, the Blue Raiders looked to try and close it out, but VT's Peck was able to connect on a walk-off two-run home run over the right field wall and close out the 3-2 contest.
Czajkowski led the Blue Raiders in the contest, going 1-for-3 and recording an RBI. Hutchinson also had a great game for the Blue Raiders, going 2-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run. Harris also recorded a hit in the contest, going 1-for-4 against the Hokies.
Senior Corrina Dodd (1-2) pitched the complete game for the Blue Raiders, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits and recording a pair of strikeouts.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders continue play in the Easton Bama Bash tomorrow as they take on the host, No. 2 Alabama, at 4 p.m., before playing Evansville again at 6:30 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Munn, Keri (1-2)
L: Weatherford, S. (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Fehr, J. 2
RBI: Fehr, J. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Nink, J. 1 ; McFeron, M. 1
SB: Nink, J. 1
HBP: Nink, J. 1
Batting:
RBI: Shoulders, Abby 2 ; Mealer, Laura 1 ; Czajkowski, Claire 1
SH: Harris, Amaya 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harris, Amaya 1 ; Hill, Kelci 2 ; Sargent, Shelby 1
SB: Harris, Amaya 1 ; Hill, Kelci 2 ; Sargent, Shelby 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
SS/2B
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballIF/UT
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