Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, March 18
3:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
9-9, 0
4
vs
8
Western Kentucky
15-5, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Western Kentucky
0
0
0
3
0
0
3
0
2
8
6
3
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
0
4
12
2
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HALL, Dawson (4-0)
L: Swan, Eriq (1-4)
Batting:
2B: LIEBERT, Kirk 1 ; LEONETT, Ricardo 1
RBI: FARRIS, Lukas 3 ; LEONETT, Ricardo 2
Base Running:
RUNS: GILROY, Aidan 1 ; RECKART, Drew 2 ; GARCIA, Tristin 1 ; LIEBERT, Kirk 2 ; FARRIS, Lukas 2
SB: GILROY, Aidan 1 ; LIEBERT, Kirk 2
HBP: RECKART, Drew 2 ; FIECHTER, AJ 1
PO: GILROY, Aidan 1
Batting:
2B: Coker, Brett 1
RBI: Coker, Brett 2 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 1 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Snider, Eston 1
SB: Coker, Brett 2 ; Snider, Eston 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
3B/OF
/ BaseballSS
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF/INF
/ Baseball
WKU Evens Series Against Blue Raiders
3/18/2023 7:17:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Baseball couldn't fully respond after a Western Kentucky Hilltopper three-run inning at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Saturday. In spite of doubling its foes in hits, WKU evened this weekend's three-game Conference USA series with an 8-4 win over the Blue Raiders.
The teams will decide the series outcome on Sunday's rubber matchup.
3B Gabe Jennings got MTSU on the board in the sixth, scoring DJ Wright on an infield single to the pitcher. Briggs Rutter would give the Raiders another run with a one-out, left field single to score Brett Coker.
But the home team's best chance to get back in the game followed a two-run eighth inning, on a Coker left field double to drive home JT Mabry and Eston Snider. With the tying run on deck and Coker having successfully stolen third base, drama appeared to be building on the Murfreesboro campus.
However, Coker was left stranded on third, and the Hilltoppers created permanent separation with a two-run ninth inning.
The Skipper Speaks
"You have no leeway when you trail. You pitch a little differently when you don't have a cushion. That ended up hurting us but the game was in a good spot in terms of having opportunities to get back in it. We tried to do that, we competed well at the plate. But they had some good arms and they used their bullpen like they wanted to.
By the Numbers
12: The Blue Raiders mustered 12 hits Saturday, double that of WKU's six.
2: Four members of the Blue Raider lineup had multiple hits, with Coker, Wright and Jackson Galloway each going 2-5. RF Gino Avros was 2-4.
4.2: RHP Eriq Swan struck out five hitting across 4.2 IP, but surrendered the initial runs and took the loss.
Blue Raider Notes
Each Blue Raider hitter reached base Saturday.
Mabry and Coker extend their hitting streaks to 14 and 10 games respectively.
Next Up
The teams will decide the series with a 1:00 p.m. rubber match at Reese Smith Jr. Field. ESPN+ will carry the game, with the radio broadcast available on WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM (Murfreesboro), WGNS 100.5 FM (Smyrna), GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App.
Notably, this weekend's series finale won't be the last time the teams play in the regular season, with MTSU scheduled for a three-game series at WKU April 6-8.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
The teams will decide the series outcome on Sunday's rubber matchup.
3B Gabe Jennings got MTSU on the board in the sixth, scoring DJ Wright on an infield single to the pitcher. Briggs Rutter would give the Raiders another run with a one-out, left field single to score Brett Coker.
But the home team's best chance to get back in the game followed a two-run eighth inning, on a Coker left field double to drive home JT Mabry and Eston Snider. With the tying run on deck and Coker having successfully stolen third base, drama appeared to be building on the Murfreesboro campus.
However, Coker was left stranded on third, and the Hilltoppers created permanent separation with a two-run ninth inning.
The Skipper Speaks
"You have no leeway when you trail. You pitch a little differently when you don't have a cushion. That ended up hurting us but the game was in a good spot in terms of having opportunities to get back in it. We tried to do that, we competed well at the plate. But they had some good arms and they used their bullpen like they wanted to.
By the Numbers
12: The Blue Raiders mustered 12 hits Saturday, double that of WKU's six.
2: Four members of the Blue Raider lineup had multiple hits, with Coker, Wright and Jackson Galloway each going 2-5. RF Gino Avros was 2-4.
4.2: RHP Eriq Swan struck out five hitting across 4.2 IP, but surrendered the initial runs and took the loss.
Blue Raider Notes
Each Blue Raider hitter reached base Saturday.
Mabry and Coker extend their hitting streaks to 14 and 10 games respectively.
Next Up
The teams will decide the series with a 1:00 p.m. rubber match at Reese Smith Jr. Field. ESPN+ will carry the game, with the radio broadcast available on WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM (Murfreesboro), WGNS 100.5 FM (Smyrna), GoBlueRaiders.com and the Varsity Network App.
Notably, this weekend's series finale won't be the last time the teams play in the regular season, with MTSU scheduled for a three-game series at WKU April 6-8.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
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