Pair of FAU home runs put away Blue Raiders in series opener

Friday, April 1

Murfreesboro, TN

6:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

15-20, 2-5

FAU

19-17, 7-3

Florida Atlantic

Middle Tennessee

4/1/2022 9:33:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Jonathan Caudle, MT Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The ball jumped off the bat deep into the night sky on multiple occasions Friday evening at Blue Raider Softball Field. Most of those, however, were off the bats of the Florida Atlantic Owls (19-17, 7-3 C-USA) as two big home runs were enough to put away the Blue Raiders (15-20, 2-5 C-USA) by a score of 5-2.

Left fielder Shelby Sargent's two-out, two-RBI single in the second inning opened the scoring for the Blue Raiders. Freshmen Claire Czajkowski and Ava Tepe both singled to put runners on the corners for Sargent, who smoked a ball off the third base bag into short left field, eventually advancing to third on the play on a FAU throwing error to give Middle Tennessee the 2-0 lead.

Florida Atlantic plated three runs on three hits in the third inning, including a leadoff home run by catcher Olivia Peterson. The Owls netted two more insurance runs late, courtesy of a fifth-inning RBI single by left fielder Sara Berthiaume and a leadoff home run in the seventh by designated player Riley Ennis. FAU starting pitcher Lynn Gardner would not allow another run to score following the two-run second inning in a complete game, moving her record to 11-5 on the year.

Gretchen Mead made her seventh start of the season for Middle Tennessee and surrendered three earned runs on five hits while picking up three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Corrina Dodd came out of the bullpen to relieve Mead with a pair of Owls on base in the fifth inning and struck out FAU right fielder Riley Olson to escape the jam. Other than the solo home run she gave up in the seventh, Dodd racked up three strikeouts in her 2.1 innings of work, all coming after the leadoff homer she allowed in the seventh.

Middle Tennessee was led at the plate by the bottom of its' lineup, as catcher Tepe went 1-for-2 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored. Sargent had a pair of RBIs and finished the night 1-for-3 at the plate.

Up Next
First pitch for game two between the Owls and Blue Raiders is set for tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.

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