Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
11-21, 0
New Mexico State
14-18, 0
Blue Raiders fall to Aggies in series opener
4/12/2024 10:25:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Despite an offensive outburst to open the game, Middle Tennessee fell to NM State 15-12 in 11 innings on Friday evening at Reese Smith Jr. Field. The Blue Raiders (11-21, 3-7 CUSA) and Aggies (14-18, 3-7 CUSA) combined for 27 runs and 33 hits in 98 at-bats on the night.
Blue Raider catcher Briggs Rutter logged the program's third cycle and first since Nathan Himes did it against South Alabama in 2009. The senior completed the cycle with a two-run home run in the sixth. The backstop finished the night 4-for-6 with four runs and two RBI.
Middle Tennessee hit four home runs, with Gabe Jennings, Cale Vinson and Trace Phillips joining Rutter in the round-tripper club for the night. The Blue Raiders tallied a total of seven extra-base hits in the game.
Left-hander Cole Torbett had a career night on the mound. The freshman lasted 5.1 innings and recorded a career-high six strikeouts along the way.
Gabe Jennings extended his on-base streak to eight games when he reached on a fifth-inning single. Jennings and designated hitter Jackson Galloway each had three RBI, with Jennings wrapping up his night with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. Jennings was also 4-for-6 and scored three times. Phillips also had a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-6 with a run and two RBI.
By the Numbers:
7: Home runs this season by Trace Phillips, the most by an MTSU freshman since Blake Benefield hit eight in 2016.
10: Multi-home run games this season for the Blue Raiders.
3: Triples this year for catcher Briggs Rutter and outfielder Luke Vinson, good for the team lead.
Players' Perspective – Briggs Rutter
"(Hitting for the cycle) was really cool. I added some wheels this year that I didn't have last season, so I've been able to get a triple on rare occasions... We've got to get a win tomorrow. We need to reset, get some sleep, come back and win a ballgame tomorrow, that's the most important part."
Next Up
Middle Tennessee and NM State continue the three-game set tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT from Reese Smith Jr. Field.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Saul Soto (3-1)
L: Johnson, Patrick (3-1)
Batting:
2B: Keith Jones II 1 ; Damone Hale 1 ; Logan Gallina 1
HR: Logan Gallina 1 ; Edwin Martinez-Pagan 1
RBI: Romeo Ballesteros 1 ; Keith Jones II 3 ; Titus Dumitru 1 ; Damone Hale 1 ; Mitch Namie 2 ; Logan Gallina 2 ; Edwin Martinez-Pagan 1 ; Kade Benavidez 3
SH: Mitch Namie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Romeo Ballesteros 2 ; Keith Jones II 2 ; Damone Hale 2 ; Nick Gore 1 ; Mitch Namie 2 ; Logan Gallina 2 ; Preston Godfrey 1 ; Edwin Martinez-Pagan 1 ; Kade Benavidez 1 ; Jadon Arakaki 1
SB: Keith Jones II 1 ; Damone Hale 1
HBP: Romeo Ballesteros 2 ; Damone Hale 1
PO: Keith Jones II 1
Batting:
2B: Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Snider, Grant 1
3B: Rutter, Briggs 1
HR: Vinson, Cale 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1
RBI: Vinson, Cale 2 ; Jennings, Gabe 3 ; Rutter, Briggs 2 ; Phillips, Trace 2 ; Galloway, Jackson 3
SF: Galloway, Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Snider, Eston 1 ; Vinson, Cale 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 3 ; Rutter, Briggs 4 ; Phillips, Trace 1 ; Snider, Grant 1 ; Vinson, Luke 1
