Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday, April 8
Bowling Green, KY
1:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
17-13, 8-4
5
at
4
Western Kentucky
16-17, 2-10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
9
0
WKU
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
4
10
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Akens, Ollie (2-0)
L: TERBRAK, Devyn (3-3)
S: Sells, James (6)
Batting:
2B: Vinson, Luke 1
3B: Snider, Eston 1
RBI: Coker, Brett 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 2 ; Vinson, Luke 1
SH: Mabry, JT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 1 ; Coker, Brett 1 ; Snider, Eston 2 ; Vinson, Luke 1
HBP: Snider, Eston 1
Batting:
2B: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; GILROY, Aidan 1 ; DELANEY, Andrew 1
RBI: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; LIEBERT, Kirk 1 ; GARCIA, Tristin 1 ; DELANEY, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; GILROY, Aidan 1 ; BLOMQUIST, Brett 2
SB: CRITTENBERGER, Ty 1 ; BLOMQUIST, Brett 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
SS
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/INF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: MT Athletic Communications
Blue Raiders Complete Series Sweep at WKU
4/8/2023 4:29:00 PM | Baseball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Middle Tennessee Baseball tacked on four runs in the second inning, Eriq Swan delivered four robust innings, James Sells had a save for the third consecutive game and the Blue Raiders completed the three-game sweep over the WKU Hilltoppers with a 5-4 win on Saturday at Nick Denes Field.
The Raiders improve to 17-13 on the season, having won six in a row. It's the second consecutive Conference USA series sweep for Middle Tennessee, who now moves to 8-4 in league play after recent sweeps over the Hilltoppers and FIU. In the season series against WKU, the Raiders went 5-1, after taking two of three from the 'Toppers in Murfreesboro in March.
Sells entered the game with one out in the eighth inning, a runner on base and the tying run at the plate. After recording two consecutive outs in the eighth, the Hilltoppers applied some pressure in the ninth, pushing a run across and getting the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs. Sells however induced a lineout to second base to finish the game.
Eston Snider led off the third inning with a triple to right, scoring an at bat later off the bat of a Luke Vinson double. Brett Coker singled on a bunt to first base to score Vinson, before Jackson Galloway drove in Coker and Mabry.
The Raiders added another run an inning later, when Snider advanced home on a throw after a dropped third strike.
WKU runs in the seventh and the ninth innings got the game within a run, but the 'Toppers never came closer.
The Skipper Speaks
"When you get to Game 3 of a series, you have a chance to either play the rubber match, salvage the series if you didn't win the first two, or, like we did today, get an opportunity to sweep. It was a good effort all the way around. We had guys come in and play clean right off the bat.
"That was arguably one of the better arms WKU threw, and we had a good guy as well. Swan did a nice job getting us 75-80 pitches; we talked about not trying to push much farther than that. He gave us a good, quality four innings. Our bullpen was able to keep them at bay. Their bullpen did the same, but we were able to attack them for another run after they scored their first and that was big for us," said head coach Jerry Myers.
On turning to Sells for the save for the third consecutive game: "There was doubt when I went to bed last night on whether we'd use him again, but when we came up today, I told him to get his arm up if he had an inning or so and he said 'I feel as good as I have all weekend.'"
By the Numbers
4: Swan struck out four across four innings and allowed two earned runs Saturday. He walked no batters.
3: Sells had a save in all three games in Bowling Green and now has six saves on the year. After recording four outs on Thursday and Friday, the Winchester, Tenn. native logged five outs in the Saturday's series finale.
2-4: Briggs Rutter reached base multiple times for the second consecutive game, going 2-4 Saturday.
2-4: Vinson was 2-4 with an RBI double.
2: Galloway had two RBI while going 1-4.
Blue Raider Notes
MTSU played error-free baseball for the ninth time in 2023, and the second game in a row.
The Blue Raiders stuck with the same starting nine for the fifth consecutive game. MTSU is 5-0 across these contests. Meyers' lineup card has featured the same starting infield in all 30 games this year.
Galloway has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games, while Coker extends his on-base streak to 25 games.
Dating back to 2022, the Raiders have won three consecutive series against their rivals to the north.
Dating back at least 1974, this represents the first three-game sweep over WKU in Bowling Green. It's the first time the program has won three straight in Bowling Green since 2000-01. The Blue Raiders previously swept the Hilltoppers in Murfreesboro in 2019.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders are back in action for a midweek matchup at Georgia State on Tuesday. First pitch from Decatur, Ga. Is set for 3:00 p.m. at GSU Baseball Complex.
MTSU's next C-USA series is next weekend at UTSA, and its next home game is scheduled for April 18 against Lipscomb at 6:00 p.m.
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 Raiders improve to 17-13 on the season, having won six in a row. It's the second consecutive Conference USA series sweep for Middle Tennessee, who now moves to 8-4 in league play after recent sweeps over the Hilltoppers and FIU. In the season series against WKU, the Raiders went 5-1, after taking two of three from the 'Toppers in Murfreesboro in March.
Sells entered the game with one out in the eighth inning, a runner on base and the tying run at the plate. After recording two consecutive outs in the eighth, the Hilltoppers applied some pressure in the ninth, pushing a run across and getting the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs. Sells however induced a lineout to second base to finish the game.
Eston Snider led off the third inning with a triple to right, scoring an at bat later off the bat of a Luke Vinson double. Brett Coker singled on a bunt to first base to score Vinson, before Jackson Galloway drove in Coker and Mabry.
The Raiders added another run an inning later, when Snider advanced home on a throw after a dropped third strike.
WKU runs in the seventh and the ninth innings got the game within a run, but the 'Toppers never came closer.
The Skipper Speaks
"When you get to Game 3 of a series, you have a chance to either play the rubber match, salvage the series if you didn't win the first two, or, like we did today, get an opportunity to sweep. It was a good effort all the way around. We had guys come in and play clean right off the bat.
"That was arguably one of the better arms WKU threw, and we had a good guy as well. Swan did a nice job getting us 75-80 pitches; we talked about not trying to push much farther than that. He gave us a good, quality four innings. Our bullpen was able to keep them at bay. Their bullpen did the same, but we were able to attack them for another run after they scored their first and that was big for us," said head coach Jerry Myers.
On turning to Sells for the save for the third consecutive game: "There was doubt when I went to bed last night on whether we'd use him again, but when we came up today, I told him to get his arm up if he had an inning or so and he said 'I feel as good as I have all weekend.'"
By the Numbers
4: Swan struck out four across four innings and allowed two earned runs Saturday. He walked no batters.
3: Sells had a save in all three games in Bowling Green and now has six saves on the year. After recording four outs on Thursday and Friday, the Winchester, Tenn. native logged five outs in the Saturday's series finale.
2-4: Briggs Rutter reached base multiple times for the second consecutive game, going 2-4 Saturday.
2-4: Vinson was 2-4 with an RBI double.
2: Galloway had two RBI while going 1-4.
Blue Raider Notes
MTSU played error-free baseball for the ninth time in 2023, and the second game in a row.
The Blue Raiders stuck with the same starting nine for the fifth consecutive game. MTSU is 5-0 across these contests. Meyers' lineup card has featured the same starting infield in all 30 games this year.
Galloway has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games, while Coker extends his on-base streak to 25 games.
Dating back to 2022, the Raiders have won three consecutive series against their rivals to the north.
Dating back at least 1974, this represents the first three-game sweep over WKU in Bowling Green. It's the first time the program has won three straight in Bowling Green since 2000-01. The Blue Raiders previously swept the Hilltoppers in Murfreesboro in 2019.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders are back in action for a midweek matchup at Georgia State on Tuesday. First pitch from Decatur, Ga. Is set for 3:00 p.m. at GSU Baseball Complex.
MTSU's next C-USA series is next weekend at UTSA, and its next home game is scheduled for April 18 against Lipscomb at 6:00 p.m.
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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