Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“From the time we got on the field, there wasn't a doubt in anybody's mind” - Softball sets the tone with dominant opening round win in Tuscaloosa Regional
5/19/2023 9:58:00 PM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jeff Breeden would've been happy with just scoring a run.
After going scoreless in MTSU's most recent trip to the NCAA Tournament, indeed their most recent trip to the Tuscaloosa Regional, in 2018, the Blue Raiders' head coach was just wanting his team to scratch a run across to get that proverbial monkey off his back.
His softball team got that run on an RBI-single from Savannah Behabetz in the top of the second against Central Arkansas. And then the Blue Raiders got seven more in the top of the fifth, combining that with a shutout from Gretchen Mead in the circle, to run-rule the Bears and secure the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
"I come into this thing thinking if we can score some runs, then it's a plus," Breeden said. "Now, I think let's come in here and try to win this thing. I'm just amazed at how good our kids played and what kind of mindset they had."
Right from the moment MTSU stepped on the grass of Rhoads Stadium on Friday, it was easy to tell MTSU was in the right mindset. They were as loose as they could've been all year, demanding the press box play a line dancing song so they could dance as their bats went through their mandatory testing.
"From the time we got on the field, there wasn't a doubt in anybody's mind," Gretchen Mead said.
Shortstop Laura Mealer said that locked-in level started even earlier.
"When we woke up this morning, we were ready to go today," Mealer said.
Breeden acknowledged that MTSU rarely run rules their opponents. But with that caveat, this was quintessential Blue Raider softball win. Smart, aggressive baserunning from Lexi Medlock led MTSU to strike first on Behabetz's second inning hit. The seven-run fifth inning was all off of singles, walks, a sacrifice fly and hit by pitches. The Blue Raiders didn't need the big swing to change momentum, they just chipped and chipped until UCA looked up and were packing their bags after just five frames.
"Give credit to Middle Tennessee State," UCA Head Coach Jenny Parsons said. "They came with a plan offensively and they put it on us offensively. We picked a bad time to probably pitch the worst game we've pitched in a long time."
Facing two pitchers with sub-2 ERAs heading into Friday's game in Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson, MTSU knew it would also need a great game from Mead in the circle to stay in. Beyond two first-inning singles that spelled early trouble, the fifth-year senior was the better duelist on the dirt on Friday, keeping the Bears off balance with plenty of easy flyouts that her outfield vacuumed up.
"She spun it really well," Parsons praised. "She spun a little screwball away from us and then she would come in late with a riseball. She had a nice little changeup. There wasn't that much of a difference in speed, but it was enough to get you off balance a little bit."
The win moves MTSU into the 1-0 Game at Noon CT on Saturday, where the Blue Raiders will face the host, No. 5 national seed Alabama. The Crimson Tide are currently down their top pitcher, Montana Fouts, who's officially day-to-day after injuring her left knee against Arkansas in last week's SEC Tournament and did not pitch in Alabama's 5-0 win over LIU on Friday night.
Breeden expects the nation's leader in strikeouts to get the ball for the Crimson Tide, though Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy still did not know when she would return to the circle after his team's Friday night win.
And after how his team played on Friday, Jeff Breeden wouldn't have it any other way.
"I expect that we're going to play Alabama, here at their place, in a packed house that is an amazing atmosphere," Breeden said. "It's why you come to Middle Tennessee and it's why you play college softball, is to come to a venue like this, with fans packed in the stands, like it will be. Facing the best pitcher probably in the world right now.
"If you can't jacked up about what's fixing to happen at Noon tomorrow for us, then you ain't got a heart inside you."
After going scoreless in MTSU's most recent trip to the NCAA Tournament, indeed their most recent trip to the Tuscaloosa Regional, in 2018, the Blue Raiders' head coach was just wanting his team to scratch a run across to get that proverbial monkey off his back.
His softball team got that run on an RBI-single from Savannah Behabetz in the top of the second against Central Arkansas. And then the Blue Raiders got seven more in the top of the fifth, combining that with a shutout from Gretchen Mead in the circle, to run-rule the Bears and secure the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
"I come into this thing thinking if we can score some runs, then it's a plus," Breeden said. "Now, I think let's come in here and try to win this thing. I'm just amazed at how good our kids played and what kind of mindset they had."
Right from the moment MTSU stepped on the grass of Rhoads Stadium on Friday, it was easy to tell MTSU was in the right mindset. They were as loose as they could've been all year, demanding the press box play a line dancing song so they could dance as their bats went through their mandatory testing.
"From the time we got on the field, there wasn't a doubt in anybody's mind," Gretchen Mead said.
Shortstop Laura Mealer said that locked-in level started even earlier.
"When we woke up this morning, we were ready to go today," Mealer said.
Breeden acknowledged that MTSU rarely run rules their opponents. But with that caveat, this was quintessential Blue Raider softball win. Smart, aggressive baserunning from Lexi Medlock led MTSU to strike first on Behabetz's second inning hit. The seven-run fifth inning was all off of singles, walks, a sacrifice fly and hit by pitches. The Blue Raiders didn't need the big swing to change momentum, they just chipped and chipped until UCA looked up and were packing their bags after just five frames.
"Give credit to Middle Tennessee State," UCA Head Coach Jenny Parsons said. "They came with a plan offensively and they put it on us offensively. We picked a bad time to probably pitch the worst game we've pitched in a long time."
Facing two pitchers with sub-2 ERAs heading into Friday's game in Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson, MTSU knew it would also need a great game from Mead in the circle to stay in. Beyond two first-inning singles that spelled early trouble, the fifth-year senior was the better duelist on the dirt on Friday, keeping the Bears off balance with plenty of easy flyouts that her outfield vacuumed up.
"She spun it really well," Parsons praised. "She spun a little screwball away from us and then she would come in late with a riseball. She had a nice little changeup. There wasn't that much of a difference in speed, but it was enough to get you off balance a little bit."
The win moves MTSU into the 1-0 Game at Noon CT on Saturday, where the Blue Raiders will face the host, No. 5 national seed Alabama. The Crimson Tide are currently down their top pitcher, Montana Fouts, who's officially day-to-day after injuring her left knee against Arkansas in last week's SEC Tournament and did not pitch in Alabama's 5-0 win over LIU on Friday night.
Breeden expects the nation's leader in strikeouts to get the ball for the Crimson Tide, though Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy still did not know when she would return to the circle after his team's Friday night win.
And after how his team played on Friday, Jeff Breeden wouldn't have it any other way.
"I expect that we're going to play Alabama, here at their place, in a packed house that is an amazing atmosphere," Breeden said. "It's why you come to Middle Tennessee and it's why you play college softball, is to come to a venue like this, with fans packed in the stands, like it will be. Facing the best pitcher probably in the world right now.
"If you can't jacked up about what's fixing to happen at Noon tomorrow for us, then you ain't got a heart inside you."
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS/2B
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OF
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