Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Sunday, March 19
1:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
10-9, 0
8
vs
6
Western Kentucky
15-6, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Western Kentucky
0
0
1
2
0
2
1
0
0
6
8
1
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
0
1
2
2
3
X
8
11
3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sells, James (1-2)
L: WEINS, CJ (0-2)
Batting:
2B: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; LEONETT, Ricardo 1
HR: LEONETT, Ricardo 1
RBI: RECKART, Drew 2 ; GARCIA, Tristin 1 ; LEONETT, Ricardo 1
SH: GILROY, Aidan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 2 ; LEONETT, Ricardo 1 ; BATUSICH, Ty 1 ; MEYER, Matthew 2
SB: LEONETT, Ricardo 1
HBP: MEYER, Matthew 2
Batting:
2B: Galloway, Jackson 1
RBI: Mabry, JT 2 ; Boyd, Jeremiah 1 ; Avros, Gino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 1 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Wright, DJ 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 2 ; Avros, Gino 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
SB: Jennings, Gabe 1
HBP: Mabry, JT 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
3B/OF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballSS
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Photo by: Kaitlyn Hungerford/MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders Rally in Eighth for Series Win over WKU
3/19/2023 5:45:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – With the series on the line, Middle Tennessee Baseball trailed late against the WKU Hilltoppers at Reese Smith Jr. Field on Sunday.
But as the old adage goes, 'it ain't over until it's over.'
The Blue Raiders scored two runs in the six and seventh innings as well as three in the eighth to stun the 'Toppers in Murfreesboro, prevailing 8-6 in the rubber matchup.
Trailing 5-1, an E3 off the bat of Gino Avros plated a pair of Raiders in the sixth. After the Hilltoppers made it 6-3 on a solo home run in the seventh, the Blue Raiders made it a one-run game off the bat of Jeremiah Boyd and a Brett Coker run on a passed ball.
But the grand finale of the series finale came in the eighth, when Gabe Jennings scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game, before JT Mabry singled to drive in Luke Vinson and Avros from second and third base later in the at-bat. MTSU wouldn't trail again.
James Sells earned his first win of 2023 with his three-inning, one-run outing out of the bullpen. With the Blue Raiders leading for the first time Sunday in the ninth, Sells induced a 1-2-3 inning to clinch the series.
The Raiders improve to 10-9 on the season and 2-1 in Conference USA play.
The Skipper Speaks
"I was proud of the fact that we continued to battle and that we continued to scrap. We handled some things really well late in that game to put some pressure on them, and it was a good job all the way around. It may have been one of the colder games that most of these guys have played in," said head coach Jerry Myers.
"Getting the ball into Sells' hand was six to nine outs was the plan. At that point in time there was a bigger deficit than what we had hoped for. But we were able to overcome it, and I am super proud of the guys."
Player Perspective – JT Mabry
"We faced a couple of good arms. I stayed locked on. I got behind in the count, but I stayed in the approach we've been talking about. I feel like I've been comfortable in mine, and it paid off there in the end," said Mabry.
By the Numbers
3.0: RHP Ollie Akens tossed three innings in his second start of 2023, striking out a pair and allowing one run.
6: The Blue Raider bullpen throw six frames and had six strikeouts, allowing three earned runs Sunday afternoon.
2: The top third of the MTSU order (Mabry, Coker and Boyd) had two hits each.
.412: The Raiders hit .412 with runners on base Sunday, .385 with runners in scoring position and a whopping .750 across all advancement opportunities.
Blue Raider Notes
MTSU has now won four of its past six against the Hilltoppers, as well as nine of the past 13 matchups.
The win was the Blue Raiders' first in 2023 where they trailed entering the eighth inning.
Meyers' team outhit WKU in all three games this weekend.
Mabry and Coker extend their hitting streaks to 15 and 11 games respectively.
MTSU will travel to WKU April 6-8 for another three-game series this year. The 2023 C-USA season features each league squad playing a second three-game series against one team in close geographic proximity.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders hit the road for the first time in more than a month on Tuesday when they face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in Cookeville for the back end of a midweek home-and-home. MTSU will be in Boca Raton, Fla. next weekend for a three-game series against the Florida Atlantic Owls.
Next game at Reese Smith Jr. Field is slated for March 31 against FIU.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
But as the old adage goes, 'it ain't over until it's over.'
The Blue Raiders scored two runs in the six and seventh innings as well as three in the eighth to stun the 'Toppers in Murfreesboro, prevailing 8-6 in the rubber matchup.
Trailing 5-1, an E3 off the bat of Gino Avros plated a pair of Raiders in the sixth. After the Hilltoppers made it 6-3 on a solo home run in the seventh, the Blue Raiders made it a one-run game off the bat of Jeremiah Boyd and a Brett Coker run on a passed ball.
But the grand finale of the series finale came in the eighth, when Gabe Jennings scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game, before JT Mabry singled to drive in Luke Vinson and Avros from second and third base later in the at-bat. MTSU wouldn't trail again.
James Sells earned his first win of 2023 with his three-inning, one-run outing out of the bullpen. With the Blue Raiders leading for the first time Sunday in the ninth, Sells induced a 1-2-3 inning to clinch the series.
The Raiders improve to 10-9 on the season and 2-1 in Conference USA play.
The Skipper Speaks
"I was proud of the fact that we continued to battle and that we continued to scrap. We handled some things really well late in that game to put some pressure on them, and it was a good job all the way around. It may have been one of the colder games that most of these guys have played in," said head coach Jerry Myers.
"Getting the ball into Sells' hand was six to nine outs was the plan. At that point in time there was a bigger deficit than what we had hoped for. But we were able to overcome it, and I am super proud of the guys."
Player Perspective – JT Mabry
"We faced a couple of good arms. I stayed locked on. I got behind in the count, but I stayed in the approach we've been talking about. I feel like I've been comfortable in mine, and it paid off there in the end," said Mabry.
By the Numbers
3.0: RHP Ollie Akens tossed three innings in his second start of 2023, striking out a pair and allowing one run.
6: The Blue Raider bullpen throw six frames and had six strikeouts, allowing three earned runs Sunday afternoon.
2: The top third of the MTSU order (Mabry, Coker and Boyd) had two hits each.
.412: The Raiders hit .412 with runners on base Sunday, .385 with runners in scoring position and a whopping .750 across all advancement opportunities.
Blue Raider Notes
MTSU has now won four of its past six against the Hilltoppers, as well as nine of the past 13 matchups.
The win was the Blue Raiders' first in 2023 where they trailed entering the eighth inning.
Meyers' team outhit WKU in all three games this weekend.
Mabry and Coker extend their hitting streaks to 15 and 11 games respectively.
MTSU will travel to WKU April 6-8 for another three-game series this year. The 2023 C-USA season features each league squad playing a second three-game series against one team in close geographic proximity.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders hit the road for the first time in more than a month on Tuesday when they face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in Cookeville for the back end of a midweek home-and-home. MTSU will be in Boca Raton, Fla. next weekend for a three-game series against the Florida Atlantic Owls.
Next game at Reese Smith Jr. Field is slated for March 31 against FIU.
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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