Blue Raiders perfect on opening day of Mercer Invitational

Friday, February 25

Macon, GA

1:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

3-9

Murray State

6-5

Murray State

Middle Tennessee

2/25/2022 8:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Jonathan Caudle, MT Athletic Communications

MACON, GA. – Middle Tennessee Softball (4-9) opened the Mercer Invitational, going a perfect 2-0 against Murray State (6-5), 2-0, and Mercer (3-9), 2-1, at Sikes Field on Friday.

"Wins are always good, and we hope to learn from each game and get better every day," expressed head coach Jeff Breeden. "We need to find a way to execute our offense with a greater percentage chance to score, but we will keep getting better each day. I thought our pitchers threw well today. We just need to play with great energy each day!"

Middle Tennessee 2 – Murray State 0

Murray State opened the game, knocking the first two hits of the contest in the top of the first and second, however, the Blue Raiders locked in defensively to keep the Racers off the board.

The Blue Raiders got the bats going in the bottom of the third as sophomore Shelby Sargent connected on her first extra-base hit of the season, knocking a two-out double, but a ground out closed the inning to keep things scoreless through three.

Freshman Anyce Harvey earned her first hit of the season, connecting on a two-out single in the fourth, however, the Blue Raiders couldn't advance her as MT evened the game at two hits apiece and headed to the fifth still in a scoreless stalemate.

However, the sixth inning proved to be all the Blue Raiders needed to break away from the Racers. After a leadoff groundout, sophomore Amaya Harris knocked a one-out single to get the Blue Raiders third base-runner of the contest aboard. Junior Kelci Hill reached on a fielder's choice, as Harris was thrown out at second. Freshman Laura Mealer knocked a two-out single to third base and beat out the throw to first to get two Blue Raiders on and their second in scoring position. Harvey connected on a pitch that she delivered towards the Racers' shortstop, but a wild throw from Murray State's shortstop allowed Harvey to reach on an error, plating Hill and Mealer, who beat out the throw to home with an incredible slide to put the Blue Raiders up by two with three outs to go, 2-0.

Murray State couldn't respond as the Blue Raiders put the Racers down in order in the top of the seventh and secured the Blue Raiders 2-0 win over Murray State.

Harvey led the Blue Raiders against the Racers, going 1-for-3 and recording the Blue Raiders two RBIs. Laura Mealer and Harris went 1-for-3, while Sargent went 1-for-2 against the Racers. Mealer and Hill tallied the Blue Raiders pair of runs in the contest.

Senior Corrina Dodd pitched a compelte game, going seven innings and allowing only three hits and tying her season-high six strikeouts in the win.

Middle Tennessee 2 – Mercer 1

The Blue Raiders maintained the momentum into the second game of the day as they tallied the first two hits of the contest, knocking a pair of singles from Hill and freshman Claire Czajkowski into left-center field in the bottom of the first and second, respectively.

However, it was the third inning that got the Blue Raiders going. Sargent led off the third, hitting a towering leadoff triple into right field to post the Blue Raiders first three-base hit of the season. Harris followed Sargent with a sacrifice fly into right field to bring across Sargent and put the Blue Raiders on top, 1-0.

In the sixth, Mealer added to the Blue Raiders lead as she connected on her second solo home run and the Blue Raiders second home run of the season, knocking the long-ball over the center-field wall to extend the Blue Raiders lead to two, 2-0.

However, Mercer looked to respond in the sixth as the Bears hit a one-out double and after the Blue Raiders hit the Bears' third batter of the inning, to put the tying run on first and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. The Blue Raiders went to the bullpen to bring in senior Gretchen Mead. The Bears cut the Blue Raiders lead to one off a two-out single into left field, but a groundout to Mead closed the inning and kept the Blue Raiders up by one, 2-1.

That was as close as the Bears would get as the Blue Raiders produced a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game and complete the Blue Raiders perfect day.

Claire Czajkowski led the Blue Raiders in hits against the Bears, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Harris and Mealer recorded the Blue Raiders pair of RBIs in the contest, going 1-for-2 and 1-for-3 in the contest. Hill and Sargent also recorded hits for the Blue and White, batting 1-for-3 in the contest. Mealer and Sargent tallied the Blue Raiders runs against the Bears.

Freshman Keri Munn earned the win against the Bears, putting in 5.1 innings of work and allowing just one run on three hits, while also recording a pair of strikeouts. Mead earned the save after relieving Munn and throwing 1.2 innings, allowing only two hits, and striking out one Mercer batter.

Up Next
The Blue Raiders will close out play in the Mercer Invitational on Saturday, taking on the Murray State Racers at 10 a.m. CT, before taking on host Mercer in the finale at 2 p.m. CT.

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