Blue Raiders drop home opener 5-3 to Southern Illinois

Thursday, March 9

Murfreesboro, TN

5:00 PM CT

Middle Tennessee

14-6

Southern Illinois

15-2

Southern Illinois

Middle Tennessee

3/9/2023 9:01:00 PM | Softball

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By: Anthony Fiorella, MTSU Athletics Writer

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Middle Tennessee (14-6) found itself deadlocked at 3-3 with Southern Illinois (15-2) when it entered the seventh inning, but was unable to dance out of a two-out bases loaded jam in the top of the inning and fell 5-3 in the home opener after being unable to push across the equalizer later.

Anyce Harvey singled up the middle in the bottom of the first to plate Laura Mealer and tie the game at 1-1 after Southern Miss scored to open the ballgame.

In the top of the third, Southern Illinois took the lead on a two-RBI double by catcher Anna Carder to take make it 3-2 a half inning after Ansley Blevins scored her eighth run of the season that knotted things up at 2-2.

Blevins later tied it for Middle Tennessee in the bottom of the third with a long single off the wall to straightaway centerfield that scored Julia Garcia to make it 3-3.

MTSU starter Gretchen Mead tossed 6.2 innings and was well over 100 pitches when she exited in the seventh, having allowed just three runs.

Both Saluki runs scored in the top of the seventh inning were unearned and they were able to set the Blue Raiders down in order to end the game.

By the Numbers

Middle Tennessee started a 10 game home stand today after playing its' first 19 games on the road.
Freshman Ansley Blevins had her first multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Quote from Head Coach Jeff Breeden

"I don't have anything negative to say about our offense. We had 10 hits tonight. Championship teams can hit with runners in scoring position and with two outs, so we've got to grow in to that. I'm very pleased with our offense other than we left too many baserunners on. Gretchen (Mead) battled her butt off. People that came out saw a very good ballgame tonight. They're a very good team. We let it slip away in the seventh, but that's the way this game is. I'm disappointed because I want to win every time out, but if we grow from this experience, we're going to keep getting better."

Up Next

The Blue Raiders are slated for a doubleheader tomorrow against Green Bay at 4:30 p.m. CDT and Appalachian State at 7:00 p.m. CDT.

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