Middle Tennessee erases four-run deficit to earn series win over Southern Miss in extras

Sunday, March 20

Murfreesboro, TN

12:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

14-15, 2-1

Southern Miss

18-11, 1-5

Southern Miss

Middle Tennessee

3/20/2022 4:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Anthony Fiorella, MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Claire Czajkowski stood on third base with two outs in the ninth inning. Middle Tennessee (14-15, 2-1 C-USA) Head Coach Jeff Breeden told his freshman third baseman that if there was a passed ball or wild pitch, it was up to her on whether or not she wanted to go. Sure enough, a rise ball thrown by Southern Miss (18-11, 1-5 C-USA) reliever Morgan Leinstock was waved at and missed, but the ball deflected off catcher Hannah Borden's glove and rolled to the padding behind the plate.

Czajkowski broke for home and slid just under the tag from Leinstock to give the Blue Raiders a 6-5 series-clinching win.

"Once I saw that the pitch rolled back and stuck near the fence, I immediately told myself I was going," Czajkowski said. "I looked up at the umpire and couldn't even see him and when I saw my teammates running out of the dugout I realized we had won. It was a great feeling."

Middle Tennessee was able to strike first thanks to its' first three hits of the afternoon all being doubles.

In the first inning, back-to-back doubles by Kelci Hill and Anyce Harvey netted the Blue Raiders the first run of the afternoon. Czajkowski had a doubled with two out and nobody on the second. The double was her first of two hits in a 2-for-4 effort.

After tying it up in the third inning, Southern Miss put up a three-spot in the fourth to jump out to a 5-1 lead.

Still down by four runs heading into the bottom of the fifth, a four-run fourth brought the Blue Raiders back to tie it up.

With two outs, Shelby Sargent and Amaya Harris both reached base to bring up centerfielder Hill. Hill knocked an RBI single into right field to score Sargent. Both Hill and Harris moved into scoring position on the throw, which proved to be a great base running move as Laura Mealer's second triple of the weekend brought them both in to score. Down by just a run, Harvey came up big by hitting a line drive single up the middle to tie the game at five.

"The message (to the team) was just to stay the course," Breeden said of the meeting the Blue Raiders had on the field heading into the bottom of the fifth. "I probably wouldn't have given you a nickel for us in the middle of the game, but we came back and rallied to score four runs and never stopped fighting, and things went our way in the end. I'm proud of all of our young kids for coming up big and hitting the ball."

Gretchen Mead had a much shorter outing than Friday, going three-plus innings, and allowing three earned runs. Danielle Taitt came out of the bullpen with runners on first and second and nobody out in the top of the fourth and gave up three runs in that inning. A solo home run by Southern Miss shortstop Maria Smith to leadoff the fifth inning spelled the end of the day for Taitt, who gave way to Corrina Dodd. Down by four runs when she entered, Dodd came in and tossed five innings of scoreless ball out of the bullpen to earn the win and improve to 5-3 with a 2.80 ERA.

"Dodd came in and did what a senior should do," Breeden said. "I'm proud for her stepping in and doing exactly what we needed her to do."

Three Blue Raiders who stood out at the plate this weekend were Hill, Mealer and Harvey. Hill finished the weekend hitting .400 against the Golden Eagles while freshmen Mealer and Harvey combined to go 8-for-19 with three extra-base hits, four runs and four RBIs.

The Blue Raiders host Tennessee State Wednesday, March 23 at home at 5:00 p.m. before hitting the road next weekend for a three-game set at Marshall.

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