Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
4-6
UT Martin
5-6
Blue Raider bats come alive to blast past Skyhawks to even up series
3/2/2024 6:21:00 PM | Baseball
MTSU erupted for 17 runs to cruise past UT Martin
MARTIN, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee baseball would not be denied on Saturday, striking first and never letting off the gas in a 17-8 rout of UT Martin at Skyhawk Baseball Field.
The Blue Raiders (4-6) grabbed the momentum early, scoring two runs off Skyhawk errors in the top of the first. The bats stayed hot in the top of the third, with a Briggs Rutter single and Brady Holloway double setting up RBIs from Jackson Galloway and Trace Phillips to stretch the lead to 4-0, before the Skyhawks (5-6) were able to cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half.
MTSU poured it on the top of the fourth, hitting back-to-back-to-back doubles from Rutter, Holloway and Galloway as part of a four-run frame, growing the lead to 8-2. Two more runs in the top of the fifth, on RBIs from Gabe Jennings and Luke Vinson, gave the Blue Raiders a comfortable 10-2 lead at the halfway point of a nine-inning contest.
UT Martin scratched across three runs between the sixth and seventh innings, but the Blue Raider offense again came alive in the top of the eighth, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a single, scoring two runs on sacrifice flies. A Skyhawk error plated a third Blue Raider in the frame, setting up an RBI-double from Cale Vinson to wrap up the four-spot for MTSU, stretching the lead to 14-5.
The Skyhawks scored two more in the bottom of the eighth, but an RBI-double from Rutter and a two-run home run from Holloway in the top of the ninth left no doubt in Game 2 of the series, with the final UT Martin run scored in the bottom of the ninth merely consolation in MTSU's 17-8 win.
Brady Holloway became the first Blue Raider since 2010 to score five runs in a game. He went 4-for-6 at the dish with two doubles, a home run and three runs batted in. Briggs Rutter also had two doubles on Saturday, part of a 3-for-5 day at the plate where Rutter scored four runs and drove in two Blue Raiders. Gabe Jennings, Cale Vinson and Clay Badylak all had mult-hit games, while Luke Vinson, Cale Vinson and Badylak also scored at least two runs.
MTSU needed just two Blue Raiders on the mound, with Matt Schepel continuing his solid start to the year with 4.2 innings pitched allowing just two earned runs. Chandler Alderman earned his first win of the season in relief, striking out four Skyhawks.
By the Numbers
5: Runs scored by Brady Holloway, the first time a Blue Raider has scored five runs in a game since March 31, 2010, when Blake McDade did so against Lipscomb.
9: Earned runs given up by UT Martin, as MTSU took advantage of six Skyhawk errors to plate an additional eight runs.
5: Stolen bases for MTSU on Saturday, all of which came from different Blue Raiders (Jennings, Luke Vinson, Galloway, Eston Snider, Badylak).
Up Next
MTSU finished up the series against the Skyhawks on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and fans can follow along with radio coverage at GoBlueRaiders.com/Watch
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Alderman, Chandler (1-0)
L: STEENSMA, Eric (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Rutter, Briggs 2 ; Holloway, Brady 2 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Vinson, Cale 1
HR: Holloway, Brady 1
RBI: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 2 ; Holloway, Brady 3 ; Galloway, Jackson 2 ; Snider, Eston 1 ; Phillips, Trace 2 ; Vinson, Cale 1
SF: Vinson, Luke 1 ; Snider, Eston 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Vinson, Luke 2 ; Rutter, Briggs 4 ; Holloway, Brady 5 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Vinson, Cale 2 ; Badylak, Clay 2
SB: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Snider, Eston 1 ; Badylak, Clay 1
Batting:
2B: FERNANDEZ, Andrew 2 ; DANFORD, Mac 1 ; BELL, Blaze 1
HR: BRADY, Cameron 1
RBI: RICE, Zac 1 ; FERNANDEZ, Andrew 2 ; DANFORD, Mac 2 ; BRADY, Cameron 2 ; FITHIAN, Jalen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FERNANDEZ, Andrew 2 ; BELL, Blaze 1 ; MCLEAN, Hunter 1 ; BEAMAN, Alec 1 ; BRADY, Cameron 2 ; FITHIAN, Jalen 1
CS: RICE, Zac 1
HBP: FERNANDEZ, Andrew 1 ; COOKE, Jackson 1
