Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
15-29
North Alabama
14-28
Blue Raiders cruise past Lions 9-2
4/30/2024 9:02:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee baseball was "Bubbles Up" after defeating North Alabama 9-2 on Jimmy Buffet night at the Reese.
The Blue Raiders (15-29, 5-13 C-USA) shut down the Lions (14-28, 9-15 ASUN) with runners threatening in the top of the first inning with the first of two six-four-three double plays of the evening.
Both offenses were at a stalemate until Gabe Jennings unloaded on a baseball to hit his first career grand slam to open up the scoring in the third inning and give MTSU a four-run lead.
He was followed by Jackson Galloway, who hit his sixth round-tripper of the year to make the score 6-0 in the fifth frame.
On the mound, Dylan Alonso was sensational, going six innings, with six strikeouts in the longest outing of his career.
In the seventh inning, Briggs Rutter added to his team-leading 13 home runs on the season, marking his fourth homer in three consecutive games.
North Alabama added a run in the eighth to break the shut-out for the Blue Raiders, but MTSU answered back scoring a run of their own on Luke Vinson's eighth double of the year in the bottom of the frame making the score 8-1.
The Lions would tack on another solo in the top of the ninth, but that wasn't enough as the Blue Raiders would go on to win 9-2.
By the Numbers
3: Gabe Jennings' Grand Slam was the third in the past four games for the Blue Raiders (Brett Vondohlen).
6: Innings pitched is Dylan Alonso's longest outing of his Blue Raider career.
12: Home Runs by the Blue Raiders in the past four games.
1: Run scored by the Lions is the second time this season MTSU has allowed one or less runs (Chandler Alderman's No-Hitter on March 23rd).
The Skipper Speaks
"Regardless of what we have done in the previous (conference) games, we have the ability to be dangerous and that is what we showed tonight. We have shown what we can put together from our offensive outbursts to great pitching at times."
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will travel to Vestal, New York to face Binghamton for the second series of the season against the Bearcats. The first game of the set will be on Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m. CST.
Follow the Blue Raiders
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: Alonso, Dylan (1-1)
L: John Allen Stogner (2-5)
S: Lee, Justin (1)
Batting:
2B: Kyle Machado 1
HR: Gehrig Frei 1 ; Dominick McIntyre 1
RBI: Gehrig Frei 1 ; Dominick McIntyre 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gehrig Frei 1 ; Dominick McIntyre 1
SB: Jonathan Lane 1
Batting:
2B: Vinson, Luke 1
HR: Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1
RBI: Vinson, Luke 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 5 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Snider, Eston 2 ; Vinson, Luke 1 ; Jennings, Gabe 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1 ; Galloway, Jackson 1 ; Vetetoe, Jared 1 ; Vinson, Cale 1
SB: Snider, Eston 1
