Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Sunday, March 30
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
14-13, 0
5
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10
FIU
19-10, 0
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FIU
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Middle Tennessee
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Photo by: JD Elliott/MTSU Athletic Communications
Middle Tennessee drops rubber match against FIU, 5-10
3/30/2025 11:54:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —In a game that started much differently than the first two of the series, it was FIU (19-10, 4-2 CUSA) that got the better of Middle Tennessee (14-12, 2-4 CUSA) 9-5 in a game that didn't feature a baserunner until the third inning and no runs until the fourth.
Keaton Ray singled back up the box in the third to become the game's first baserunner and FIU leadoff man Alex Ulloa homered off of MTSU starter Cole Torbett to begin the fourth inning. Javier Crespo had an RBI to make it 2-0 going into the middle of the fourth. It was the first damage the Panthers were able to do on Torbett, who made it through the lineup unscathed the first trip through.
Cole Cleveland led off the FIU fifth with a solo home run to close the book on Torbett, who allowed three runs in 4.0 innings with four strikeouts. FIU hit its' third straight home run to lead off an inning in the sixth and finished the inning scoring three total runs to make it a 6-0 ballgame. Starter Owen Puk allowed just one hit and struck out eight in five shutout innings.
Middle Tennessee cracked the scoreboard in the sixth when Brett Vondohlen hit his Conference USA leading 12th home run of the season off the Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left-center field to cut the FIU lead in half at 6-3. Ray got his first RBI on a single to left field to score Kenny McKinley and move Matt Wolfe to third and put the tying run on first with one out. Wolfe did come in to score to make it 6-5 heading into the seventh.
FIU responded with three runs in the top of the seventh to make it 9-5 and added one final insurance run in the ninth.
Brett Vondohlen, Keaton Ray and Hayden Miller all reached base twice for Middle Tennessee. Outfielder Brett Rogers reached three times with a pair of walks and a hit and scored a run.
By the Numbers
22: Eston Snider's on-base streak following a seventh-inning single.
12: The Conference USA lead in home runs by Brett Vondohlen.
The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)
"Cole Torbett gave us a good opportunity early on in a spot start," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jerry Meyers. "He did a great job. We just didn't do enough on our approach against (Puk). They answered when we got it close and made it a one-run game, and that's what good teams do. On Friday, they had a big inning, and we came back an chipped away and answered. We need to look at that and compare it to the rest of the weekend and get ready for Tuesday."
Up Next
Middle Tennessee will host Lipscomb in its' final midweek home game of the year on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball), and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Keaton Ray singled back up the box in the third to become the game's first baserunner and FIU leadoff man Alex Ulloa homered off of MTSU starter Cole Torbett to begin the fourth inning. Javier Crespo had an RBI to make it 2-0 going into the middle of the fourth. It was the first damage the Panthers were able to do on Torbett, who made it through the lineup unscathed the first trip through.
Cole Cleveland led off the FIU fifth with a solo home run to close the book on Torbett, who allowed three runs in 4.0 innings with four strikeouts. FIU hit its' third straight home run to lead off an inning in the sixth and finished the inning scoring three total runs to make it a 6-0 ballgame. Starter Owen Puk allowed just one hit and struck out eight in five shutout innings.
Middle Tennessee cracked the scoreboard in the sixth when Brett Vondohlen hit his Conference USA leading 12th home run of the season off the Lee Victory Wall of Champions in left-center field to cut the FIU lead in half at 6-3. Ray got his first RBI on a single to left field to score Kenny McKinley and move Matt Wolfe to third and put the tying run on first with one out. Wolfe did come in to score to make it 6-5 heading into the seventh.
FIU responded with three runs in the top of the seventh to make it 9-5 and added one final insurance run in the ninth.
Brett Vondohlen, Keaton Ray and Hayden Miller all reached base twice for Middle Tennessee. Outfielder Brett Rogers reached three times with a pair of walks and a hit and scored a run.
By the Numbers
22: Eston Snider's on-base streak following a seventh-inning single.
12: The Conference USA lead in home runs by Brett Vondohlen.
The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)
"Cole Torbett gave us a good opportunity early on in a spot start," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jerry Meyers. "He did a great job. We just didn't do enough on our approach against (Puk). They answered when we got it close and made it a one-run game, and that's what good teams do. On Friday, they had a big inning, and we came back an chipped away and answered. We need to look at that and compare it to the rest of the weekend and get ready for Tuesday."
Up Next
Middle Tennessee will host Lipscomb in its' final midweek home game of the year on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Stay up to date with the Blue Raiders on Twitter (@MT_Baseball), Facebook (Blue Raider Baseball), and Instagram (@MT_Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Owen PUK (3-0)
L: Torbett, Cole (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Alex ULLOA 1 ; Brylan WEST 1 ; Cole CLEVELAND 1
RBI: Alex ULLOA 1 ; Brylan WEST 1 ; Andrew ILDEFONSO 1 ; Javier CRESPO 2 ; Austin DEARING 1 ; Cole CLEVELAND 3
SH: Hector CANDELAS 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alex ULLOA 2 ; Kishon FRETT 1 ; Brylan WEST 2 ; Andrew ILDEFONSO 2 ; Javier CRESPO 2 ; Cole CLEVELAND 1
SB: Alex ULLOA 1 ; Andrew ILDEFONSO 1 ; Cole CLEVELAND 1
HBP: Alex ULLOA 1 ; Javier CRESPO 1
Batting:
HR: Vondohlen, Brett 1
RBI: Vondohlen, Brett 3 ; Ray, Keaton 1 ; Miller, Hayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rogers, Brett 1 ; Minnick, Tyler 1 ; Vondohlen, Brett 1 ; McKinley, Kenny 1 ; Wolfe, Matt 1
SB: Ray, Keaton 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
INF
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