Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday, May 13
2:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
24-23, 13-12
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UAB
15-33, 6-19
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UAB
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Middle Tennessee
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Photo by: Matt Posey/MT Athletic Communications
Mabry walks MTSU off to take both games of Saturday Doubleheader against UAB
5/13/2023 9:02:00 PM | Baseball
Blue Raiders win by one run in both games to claim series against Blazers
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee baseball grinded out two wins by one run on Saturday, pushing past UAB to take the opening two games of the series at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Coming from behind in both games, MTSU (25-23, 14-12 C-USA) battled back each time, taking a late lead in Game 1 and walking off in extra innings in Game 2 as the Blazers (15-34, 6-20 C-USA) allowed four unearned runs between the two games on Saturday.
Game 1
Jaden Hamm struck out 11 Blazers and James Sells allowed just one hit in three innings of work in relief, as MTSU took advantage of a late UAB error to take the series opener 3-2 on Saturday.
Gabe Jennings came around to score on an error from the Blazer first baseman in the bottom of the seventh, as UAB's shortstop's throw was not picked, rolling away from first and allowing Jennings to come around from third to score the deciding run. It was the second run of the day scored on a Blazer error, as Jeremiah Boyd turned an RBI-single into a run after scoring from third on an E4 in the first inning to give MTSU a 2-1 lead.
Hamm and Sells scattered five hits while only giving one free pass, as Hamm dominated with 11 Ks in six innings of work. Sells earned the win pitching the final three frames, his fourth win of 2023. Briggs Rutter went 3-for-3 at the plate in Game 1, accounting for three of MTSU's six hits in the first game.
Game 2
MTSU erased a five-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth, setting up an extra innings finish wher JT Mabry blasted his second home run of the game to walk-off the Blue Raiders and take the series, 8-7 on Saturday night.
Mabry took an inside fastball just over the left field wall, his second home run in the last three innings, to push the Blue Raiders to the win. The middle infielder drove in three runs on his two hits, with both hits being home runs. His two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth cut the Blazer lead to just one, part of a six-run eighth inning for the Blue Raiders, where all six runs were scored with two outs.
Eriq Swann was sterling on the mound to start out, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a finger injury forced him to retire for the night. He finished with five strikeouts with just two walks, only giving up one earned run. James Sells earned his second win of the day, striking out three Blazers in two innings of work.
Gabe Jennings and DJ Wright both had strong nights at the back of the MTSU lineup, each going 2-for-4 at the plate, with Jennings scoring two runs and Wright scored one run.
By the Numbers
16: Strikeouts by Blue Raider starting pitchers in the doubleheader.
3-for-9: Mabry's day at the plate between the two games. The middle infielder scored three runs and drove in three runs for the Blue Raiders.
5: Errors between the two ball clubs on Saturday. MTSU scored multiple runs off of over throws into the Clubhouse of the first base side.
Blue Raider Notes
With the win in Game 1, MTSU secured a spot in the 2023 Conference USA Tournament.
The Blue Raiders have gone to extra innings twice this season, winning both games on walk-off homers, with Vinson walking Rice off with a solo home run in the 11th inning April 23.
Game 1 Saturday lasted just 1:56, the shortest Blue Raider game this season.
The Skipper Speaks
"Coming off a week where he had a couple of rainouts, it seemed like we didn't really have our rhythm at the plate early on. In terms of two close games, they've had a lot of one-run losses against some of the top teams in the league, so (UAB) has been super competitive. I knew we were going to have to do everything we were capable of to have a shot to put ourselves in position in any game this weekend and we were able to do it twice today."
Player's Perspective – JT Mabry
"They'd been pounding me away all day. The at-bat before, that was the first ball he threw me in all day. I like to hit those, so I was just waiting for another one. It was middle-in, so I did what I had to do with it.
"We had good at-bats the whole second game. We probably hit five or six balls 95+ that were right at people. So it was just persevering. They bring in the new kid after the first one was kind of shoving, and we started to hit some balls that were falling."
Up Next
Middle Tennessee takes on UAB in the final home game of the 2023 season. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network, but be sure to get in your seats early at Reese Smith Jr. Field for our Senior Day ceremony, which will start at 12:45 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).
Coming from behind in both games, MTSU (25-23, 14-12 C-USA) battled back each time, taking a late lead in Game 1 and walking off in extra innings in Game 2 as the Blazers (15-34, 6-20 C-USA) allowed four unearned runs between the two games on Saturday.
Game 1
Jaden Hamm struck out 11 Blazers and James Sells allowed just one hit in three innings of work in relief, as MTSU took advantage of a late UAB error to take the series opener 3-2 on Saturday.
Gabe Jennings came around to score on an error from the Blazer first baseman in the bottom of the seventh, as UAB's shortstop's throw was not picked, rolling away from first and allowing Jennings to come around from third to score the deciding run. It was the second run of the day scored on a Blazer error, as Jeremiah Boyd turned an RBI-single into a run after scoring from third on an E4 in the first inning to give MTSU a 2-1 lead.
Hamm and Sells scattered five hits while only giving one free pass, as Hamm dominated with 11 Ks in six innings of work. Sells earned the win pitching the final three frames, his fourth win of 2023. Briggs Rutter went 3-for-3 at the plate in Game 1, accounting for three of MTSU's six hits in the first game.
Game 2
MTSU erased a five-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth, setting up an extra innings finish wher JT Mabry blasted his second home run of the game to walk-off the Blue Raiders and take the series, 8-7 on Saturday night.
Mabry took an inside fastball just over the left field wall, his second home run in the last three innings, to push the Blue Raiders to the win. The middle infielder drove in three runs on his two hits, with both hits being home runs. His two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth cut the Blazer lead to just one, part of a six-run eighth inning for the Blue Raiders, where all six runs were scored with two outs.
Eriq Swann was sterling on the mound to start out, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a finger injury forced him to retire for the night. He finished with five strikeouts with just two walks, only giving up one earned run. James Sells earned his second win of the day, striking out three Blazers in two innings of work.
Gabe Jennings and DJ Wright both had strong nights at the back of the MTSU lineup, each going 2-for-4 at the plate, with Jennings scoring two runs and Wright scored one run.
By the Numbers
16: Strikeouts by Blue Raider starting pitchers in the doubleheader.
3-for-9: Mabry's day at the plate between the two games. The middle infielder scored three runs and drove in three runs for the Blue Raiders.
5: Errors between the two ball clubs on Saturday. MTSU scored multiple runs off of over throws into the Clubhouse of the first base side.
Blue Raider Notes
With the win in Game 1, MTSU secured a spot in the 2023 Conference USA Tournament.
The Blue Raiders have gone to extra innings twice this season, winning both games on walk-off homers, with Vinson walking Rice off with a solo home run in the 11th inning April 23.
Game 1 Saturday lasted just 1:56, the shortest Blue Raider game this season.
The Skipper Speaks
"Coming off a week where he had a couple of rainouts, it seemed like we didn't really have our rhythm at the plate early on. In terms of two close games, they've had a lot of one-run losses against some of the top teams in the league, so (UAB) has been super competitive. I knew we were going to have to do everything we were capable of to have a shot to put ourselves in position in any game this weekend and we were able to do it twice today."
Player's Perspective – JT Mabry
"They'd been pounding me away all day. The at-bat before, that was the first ball he threw me in all day. I like to hit those, so I was just waiting for another one. It was middle-in, so I did what I had to do with it.
"We had good at-bats the whole second game. We probably hit five or six balls 95+ that were right at people. So it was just persevering. They bring in the new kid after the first one was kind of shoving, and we started to hit some balls that were falling."
Up Next
Middle Tennessee takes on UAB in the final home game of the 2023 season. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m on ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Radio Network, but be sure to get in your seats early at Reese Smith Jr. Field for our Senior Day ceremony, which will start at 12:45 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).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sells, James (4-3)
L: B. Walton (3-6)
Batting:
3B: Braunschweig 1
HR: G. Lewis Jr. 1
RBI: G. Lewis Jr. 1 ; C. Hall 1
Base Running:
RUNS: G. Lewis Jr. 1 ; Braunschweig 1
PO: Braunschweig 1
Batting:
2B: Mabry, JT 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1
RBI: Boyd, Jeremiah 1
SH: Wright, DJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mabry, JT 1 ; Boyd, Jeremiah 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1
SB: Snider, Eston 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
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