Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Sunday, May 21
Tuscaloosa, AL
1:00 PM CT
Middle Tennessee
42-19
4
at
1
Alabama
42-19
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
4
9
0
Alabama
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
5
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mead, Gretchen (20-5)
L: Lauren Esman (4-4)
Batting:
2B: Harris, Amaya 1 ; Garcia, Julia 1
HR: Mealer, Laura 1
RBI: Mealer, Laura 2 ; Harvey, Anyce 1 ; Blevins, Ansley 1
SH: Sargent, Shelby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Echols, Shelby 2 ; Mealer, Laura 1 ; Medlock, Lexi 1
SB: Echols, Shelby 1
HBP: Blevins, Ansley 1 ; Tepe, Ava 1
Batting:
2B: Ashley Prange 2
RBI: Ally Shipman 1
SF: Ally Shipman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Larissa Preuitt 1
HBP: Kristen White 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball2B
/ SoftballC/3B
/ SoftballOF/INF
/ Softball
OF/UTL
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballSS/2B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF/UTL
/ Softball
Best season in program history ends in Regional Final for Blue Raider Softball
5/21/2023 7:23:00 PM | Softball
MTSU forced a winner-take-all game in Tuscaloosa, but fell one run short
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Middle Tennessee softball forced a decisive Game 7 in the Tuscaloosa Regional, winning Game 6 with a score of 4-1 against No. 5 Alabama, but a seventh-inning home run pushed the Crimson Tide past the Blue Raiders 1-0 in the decisive second game of the day on Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
Middle Tennessee (42-20) finishes the 2023 season with the best record in program history and the program's best ever postseason finish, finishing in the Top 32 teams in the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the regional final.
Game 1
MTSU got the action started early, with Shelby Echols reaching on a infield single to lead off the game. After two outs, Echols rolled the dice and stole second on a 1-2 count on Anyce Harvey, putting herself in scoring position.
Harvey produced the very next pitch, ripping a single up the middle as Jeff Breeden waved Echols home. The throw from center beat Echols home, but an early slide led the Crimson Tide catcher to miss the swipe tag, allowing Echols to reach the plate with her hand for the first run of the game.
Laura Mealer's red-hot bat stayed scalding in the top of the third, blasting a 3-2 pitch off the snack stand tent beyond the left field wall to triple MTSU's lead, her second home run of the weekend.
Alabama scratched one back in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1, but MTSU played small ball in the top of the sixth, where a Julia Garcia double turned into a run after Lexi Medlock pinch ran for Garcia, Shelby Sargent sacrificed herself with a bunt to move Medlock to third and Ansley Blevins smacked a single to right field to give MTSU a 4-1 lead that would hold until the final out.
Gretchen Mead tossed her thrid complete game of the weekend, allowing just one earned run and just five hits while striking out two. Mead issued only one free base all game, a hit-by-pitch. The fifth-year righty issues zero walks in her 20th win of the season. Laura Mealer and Shelby Echols both recorded two hits in Game 1, with Echols scoring two runs and Mealer driving in two runs.
Game 2
The second game on Sunday was a tight pitcher's duel through every single moment, with neither side advancing a runner as far as third base through the first six frames. Kamyrn Carcich earned the start for the Blue Raiders, stranding five runners on base throughout her seven innings of work.
Assigned as the home team in Game 2, the Blue Raiders threatened in the bottom of the sixth, when Shelby Echols hit a leadoff single to start the frame. But a strikeout and caught stealing neutralized the threat despite a two-out single from Amaya Harris.
Alabama finally broke through in the top of the seventh, hitting a solo home run to left field to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh. The Crimson Tide would get two more runners on, but a double play turned by Julia Garcia and Ansley Blevins kept MTSU within striking distance in heading into the bottom half.
Blevins would rope a two-out single to give the Blue Raiders the tying run on base, but a final strike out for Alabama pitcher Jaala Torrence ended the game and sent Alabama to the Super Regional Round.
Savannah Behabetz went 2-for-3 in Game 2, the only Blue Raider hitter to have multiple hits in the game. Carcich allowed just five hits in the circle while throwing a complete game.
By the Numbers
19.0: Innings pitched by Gretchen Mead in the Tuscaloosa Regional. Mead allowed only one earned run in those innings, good enough for a 0.37 ERA in the regional.
7-for-16: Laura Mealer's performance in the Tuscaloosa Regional, easily breaking MTSU's record for most hits in the NCAA Tournament (2, Precious Birdsong 2018). Mealer batted .438 with two home runs on the weekend.
By the Numbers, Just the Wins
3: Wins in Regional, First C-USA Team to win three games in a NCAA softball regional since Tulsa in 2014.
42: Wins in 2023, beating the 2001 team to set a new record for wins in a season. The .677 winning percentage is also the best mark in program history.
9: Wins over Top 25 teams for Middle Tennessee Athletics in 2023 (Football vs. No. 25 Miami, Women's Basketball vs. No. 18 Louisville, Men's Basketball vs. No. 25 FAU, Men's Tennis vs. No. 19 Duke and No. 19 Northwestern, Baseball vs. No. 16 Dallas Baptist and Softball vs. No. 5 Alabama, No. 24 Central Arkansas and No. 24 Central Arkansas).
Thoughts from Head Coach Jeff Breeden
"What a day. I thought it was two excellent ball games by two very good teams. The first one came out in our favor, the second one didn't, but my kids played their rear end off all day long. Proud of them. I can't ask for (more) from them, all we ask is that we have a chance to win at the end, we did that."
Player's Perspective – Gretchen Mead
"It's meant the world to me (to be a part of this team). Obviously, I didn't want it to end this way, but you have to start a new life somewhere else.
"The only difference is we don't draw a crowd like this. That clearly shows that we can compete with anyone in the country."
Player's Perspective – Shelby Echols
"I told Coach Breeden on my visit that I wanted to win a ring and compete at the highest level. And we did that. It's been a dream come true."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Softball), Twitter (@MT_Softball) and Instagram (@mt_softball).
Middle Tennessee (42-20) finishes the 2023 season with the best record in program history and the program's best ever postseason finish, finishing in the Top 32 teams in the NCAA Tournament after advancing to the regional final.
Game 1
MTSU got the action started early, with Shelby Echols reaching on a infield single to lead off the game. After two outs, Echols rolled the dice and stole second on a 1-2 count on Anyce Harvey, putting herself in scoring position.
Harvey produced the very next pitch, ripping a single up the middle as Jeff Breeden waved Echols home. The throw from center beat Echols home, but an early slide led the Crimson Tide catcher to miss the swipe tag, allowing Echols to reach the plate with her hand for the first run of the game.
Laura Mealer's red-hot bat stayed scalding in the top of the third, blasting a 3-2 pitch off the snack stand tent beyond the left field wall to triple MTSU's lead, her second home run of the weekend.
Alabama scratched one back in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1, but MTSU played small ball in the top of the sixth, where a Julia Garcia double turned into a run after Lexi Medlock pinch ran for Garcia, Shelby Sargent sacrificed herself with a bunt to move Medlock to third and Ansley Blevins smacked a single to right field to give MTSU a 4-1 lead that would hold until the final out.
Gretchen Mead tossed her thrid complete game of the weekend, allowing just one earned run and just five hits while striking out two. Mead issued only one free base all game, a hit-by-pitch. The fifth-year righty issues zero walks in her 20th win of the season. Laura Mealer and Shelby Echols both recorded two hits in Game 1, with Echols scoring two runs and Mealer driving in two runs.
Game 2
The second game on Sunday was a tight pitcher's duel through every single moment, with neither side advancing a runner as far as third base through the first six frames. Kamyrn Carcich earned the start for the Blue Raiders, stranding five runners on base throughout her seven innings of work.
Assigned as the home team in Game 2, the Blue Raiders threatened in the bottom of the sixth, when Shelby Echols hit a leadoff single to start the frame. But a strikeout and caught stealing neutralized the threat despite a two-out single from Amaya Harris.
Alabama finally broke through in the top of the seventh, hitting a solo home run to left field to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh. The Crimson Tide would get two more runners on, but a double play turned by Julia Garcia and Ansley Blevins kept MTSU within striking distance in heading into the bottom half.
Blevins would rope a two-out single to give the Blue Raiders the tying run on base, but a final strike out for Alabama pitcher Jaala Torrence ended the game and sent Alabama to the Super Regional Round.
Savannah Behabetz went 2-for-3 in Game 2, the only Blue Raider hitter to have multiple hits in the game. Carcich allowed just five hits in the circle while throwing a complete game.
By the Numbers
19.0: Innings pitched by Gretchen Mead in the Tuscaloosa Regional. Mead allowed only one earned run in those innings, good enough for a 0.37 ERA in the regional.
7-for-16: Laura Mealer's performance in the Tuscaloosa Regional, easily breaking MTSU's record for most hits in the NCAA Tournament (2, Precious Birdsong 2018). Mealer batted .438 with two home runs on the weekend.
By the Numbers, Just the Wins
3: Wins in Regional, First C-USA Team to win three games in a NCAA softball regional since Tulsa in 2014.
42: Wins in 2023, beating the 2001 team to set a new record for wins in a season. The .677 winning percentage is also the best mark in program history.
9: Wins over Top 25 teams for Middle Tennessee Athletics in 2023 (Football vs. No. 25 Miami, Women's Basketball vs. No. 18 Louisville, Men's Basketball vs. No. 25 FAU, Men's Tennis vs. No. 19 Duke and No. 19 Northwestern, Baseball vs. No. 16 Dallas Baptist and Softball vs. No. 5 Alabama, No. 24 Central Arkansas and No. 24 Central Arkansas).
Thoughts from Head Coach Jeff Breeden
"What a day. I thought it was two excellent ball games by two very good teams. The first one came out in our favor, the second one didn't, but my kids played their rear end off all day long. Proud of them. I can't ask for (more) from them, all we ask is that we have a chance to win at the end, we did that."
Player's Perspective – Gretchen Mead
"It's meant the world to me (to be a part of this team). Obviously, I didn't want it to end this way, but you have to start a new life somewhere else.
"The only difference is we don't draw a crowd like this. That clearly shows that we can compete with anyone in the country."
Player's Perspective – Shelby Echols
"I told Coach Breeden on my visit that I wanted to win a ring and compete at the highest level. And we did that. It's been a dream come true."
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (Blue Raider Softball), Twitter (@MT_Softball) and Instagram (@mt_softball).
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