Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
2-3
Miami (OH)
1-4
Blue Raiders fall in extra innings to Redhawks
2/23/2024 7:18:00 PM | Baseball
Miami scored five runs across the final two innings, including four in the top of the 10th, to get past MTSU.
After the Blue Raiders (2-3) initially leading 2-1 after three complete innings, the Redhawks (1-4) scored three runs in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of two hit batsmen and three walks in the inning to take the lead. The Blue Raiders retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh after Briggs Rutter smashed a three-run home run over the Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left field, plating Gabe Jennings and Clay Badylak to push MTSU ahead 5-4. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch, Bryce Symlar smacked an RBI-double down the left field run to plate the final run of the inning.
Go-ahead bomb 💣 @briggsrutter | #BlueCrew pic.twitter.com/rILyznrufW
— Middle Tennessee Baseball (@MT_Baseball) February 24, 2024
The Redhawks scratched an unearned run across the plate in the top of the eighth, but Turner Junkins induced a groundout to end the base-loaded threat and keep the score to 6-5, MTSU. When the Blue Raiders failed to convert a pair of one-out base runners into any runs, that left the door open for Miami to tie the game in the top of the ninth on a single to right field, forcing extra innings after MTSU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame.
Miami scored four more runs in the top of the 10th, plating the first run after executing small ball bunting to plate their first run and then hitting a three-run home run to take a big lead heading into the bottom half. The Blue Raiders had one runner reach base with two outs, but failed move him further than first
Rutter continued his hot start to the season at the dish, going 3-for-5 with a triple and home run and four RBIs. Chandler Alderman was sterling out of the bullpen, throwing 4.0 innings while allowing just one unearned run, striking out six Redhawks while giving up just two hits.
By the Numbers
3: Errors for the Blue Raiders on Friday. MTSU has 10 errors through five games, averaging two errors per contest so far this season.
4-for-6: Bryce Symlar's start to the year at the plate. Symlar went 2-for-3 with one RBI on Friday after pinch hitting for Brady Holloway in the sixth inning.
12-9: The Blue Raiders outhit the Redhawks by three hits on Friday, but left 10 runners on compared to just eight for Miami.
The Skipper Speaks
"I'll have to play it back in my mind, but they outplayed us in all phases. I'm sure they walked less than we did (on the mound). They had some guys in scoring position they were able to get in, we had some guys at third with less than two that we didn't score. A couple of times, we didn't get a bunt down. They got several bunts down, we didn't get an out on the bunt. It's a combination of a lot of things. We've got to show up tomorrow and get ready to roll."
Up Next
MTSU continues their series with the Redhawks on Saturday at Reese Smith Jr. Field, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with a radio broadcast available through streaming only at GoBlueRaiders.com/watch.
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Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on X (formerly known as Twitter) (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball) and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GALDONI, Lukas (1-1)
L: Sells, James (1-1)
Batting:
2B: BAKER, Dillon 1
HR: BATUSICH, Ty 1
RBI: BATUSICH, Ty 4 ; ZABOROWSKI, Ryland 1 ; APPELWICK, Evan 1 ; BAKER, Dillon 3
SH: APPELWICK, Evan 1 ; GORDON, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BATUSICH, Ty 1 ; MACDONALD, Zach 2 ; ZABOROWSKI, Ryland 1 ; ZARLINGO, Anthony 1 ; NOVAK, Ryan 1 ; KEELS, Tre 1 ; APPELWICK, Evan 1 ; BAKER, Dillon 1 ; GORDON, Tyler 1
SB: MACDONALD, Zach 2
HBP: MACDONALD, Zach 1 ; APPELWICK, Evan 1
PO: ZARLINGO, Anthony 1
Batting:
2B: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Symlar, Bryce 1
3B: Vinson, Luke 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1
HR: Rutter, Briggs 1
RBI: Rutter, Briggs 4 ; Holloway, Brady 1 ; Symlar, Bryce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1 ; Badylak, Clay 1
SB: Symlar, Bryce 1
HBP: Snider, Eston 2
PO: Galloway, Jackson 1
