Blue Raiders unable to pull off late-inning comeback in 6-5 loss to FIU

Saturday, March 29

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

3 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

14-12, 0

FIU

18-10, 0

FIU

Middle Tennessee

Photo by: Josie Knight/MTSU Athletic Communications

3/30/2025 11:05:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Anthony Fiorella | Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —Just as it did yesterday, Middle Tennessee (14-12, 2-3 CUSA) jumped on FIU (18-10, 3-2 CUSA) early in the ballgame to take a four-run lead, but the Panthers responded with a big inning of their own to take the lead in the fourth. FIU rode thier left-handed reliever for 4.0 innings and five strikeouts to help win 6-5 to even the series.

Eston Snider singled to extend his on-base streak to 21 games with an infield hit in the bottom of the first, and moved to third on a hit-and-run by Clay Badylak. Tyler Minnick was hit by a pitch to load the bases for cleanup hitter Brett Vonohlen, who collected the first two RBIs of the day for Middle Tennessee to make it 2-0. Minnick scored on a passed ball and Matt Wolfe's RBI groundout scored Vonohlen to cap a four-run first inning for the Blue Raiders.

FIU's five-run fourth inning following scoring its' opening run in the third inning helped them take a 6-4 lead and end MTSU starter Chandler Alderman's day.

Landon Burch came out of the bullpen and did a good job of keeping the Blue Raiders within striking distance. The right-hander allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings of work. MTSU went back to another southpaw in Collin Kerrigan with one out and a runner on second in the seventh inning and got a strikeout and a flyout to right to end the Panther threat. Kerrigan finished the game on the bump for the Blue Raiders and combined with Burch to help the Middle Tennessee bullpen allow just two hits, keeping FIU off the board in the final five frames of the afternoon.

Tyler Minnick got his first RBI of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly and still had yet to record an official at-bat after being hit by a pitch in his first two at-bats.

FIU was able to strand the tying and go ahead runs on base in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead into the seventh and was able to hold on after Middle Tennessee got the tying run to first base in the bottom of the ninth. The FIU bullpen allowed just one run on four hits over the final eight innings of the game.

Clay Badylak had another productive outing at the top of the lineup, going 2-for-4 while Trace Phillips also had two hits at the bottom of the lineup, starting today at first base for Middle Tennessee.

By the Numbers
21: Eston Snider's on-base streak following his single in the first inning.
6: RBIs from Blue Raider designated hitters in the series. Nathan Brewer had four RBIs last night, and Brett Vondohlen had two this afternoon.
2: Combined hits allowed by the Blue Raider bullpen.

The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)
"When you're in a one-run game, the margin of error is very slim," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jerry Meyers. "When you take a look at all the opportunities, we could do more damage control in the inning where they scored five. We got the leadoff guy on late, but just couldn't get the tying run to come around. We did a good job out of the bullpen and our guys did a good job coming in off the bench. We had one big inning, they had one big inning, and both bullpens did a good job, but we just fell a bit short."

Up Next
The final game of the series is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and can be heard on the Blue Raider Network.

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