Blue Raiders get back on track with 5-3 comeback win over Lipscomb

Tuesday, April 7

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

17-16

Lipscomb

14-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Lipscomb	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	5	1
Middle Tenn.	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	X	5	5	2

4/7/2026 10:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Anthony Fiorella, MTSU Athletic Communications

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Following a three-game skid, Middle Tennessee (17-16, 5-7 CUSA) needed to come home and find a way to get back on the right track prior to an important Conference USA series on the road this upcoming weekend. After trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Raiders did just that when veteran Tyler Minnick reached for the third time in the game to plate the two go-ahead runs in a 5-3 win over the Lipscomb Bisons (14-15, 7-5 ASUN).

Minnick's play was sparked by pinch runner Grant Snider, who came on to pinch run in the eighth inning after a stolen base and score the tying run on a Brett Vondohlen single.

Blue Raider starter Abel Albarran struck out five in three innings of work, a new career-high for the junior from Florida. The combination of John Michael Pickens, Landen Burch, Colin Kerrigan and Gavin King combined to give up just one earned run over the final 6.0 innings. Kerrigan got the win to go to 3-2 and King earned his second save of the season.

Middle Tennessee broke through in the fourth inning to tie the game at two after RBI singles from Clay Badylak and Tyler Minnick. Lipscomb regained the lead on a solo home run in the seventh to make it 3-2. With one out in the eighth, Vondohlen tied the game and Minnick gave the Blue Raiders the lead with two outs on a ball that squirted through the infield.

Minnick, Owen Nowak and Nathan Brewer both reached three times, with Minnick collecting an RBI and Brewer scoring two runs. Badylak and Vondohlen both finished with an RBI and a run scored.

By the Numbers

5: New career-high in strikeouts for starter Abel Albarran.

14: Appearances on the year for Colin Kerrigan, a team-high.

3: Tyler Minnick, Owen Nowak and Nathan Brewer all reached three times, and Grant Snider scored his third run of the season, the go-ahead run, after pinch-running in the eighth.

The Skipper Speaks (Jerry Meyers)

"We got to the point where we had six outs left, and we made the most of it against probably one of their better arms," said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jerry Meyers. "(Landen) Burch didn't pitch over the weekend and felt good today, and was really good outside the (home run). Kerrigan got us out of a jam and gave us time to make things happen in the ninth. (Snider) has good instincts as a baserunner and we knew he'd have a chance to score on a single. Grant's a savvy baserunner and got a good jump on the stolen base, which is huge for a guy that doesn't get all the accolades, it was a huge part of the comeback."

Player Perspective (INF/C Tyler Minnick)

"Coming off the weekend we had, we played a lot of really good baseball for a majority of that series," Minnick said. "We wanted to take that and put it into today. Run scoring was at a premium. I feel like we had a good job with our approach. It was good to squeak one out and give us some good momentum heading into this upcoming series. The message is to continue doing what we've been doing. Against Jacksonville State, we did really good in the first seven innings of probably every single game and had some bad luck and it didn't go our way. You try to stay process oriented and play the way we have been and things will eventually fall and work out for the best for us."

Up next

The Blue Raiders head down to Ruston, Louisiana, for an important matchup with Louisiana Tech. First pitch Friday is set for 6:00 CDT on both ESPN+ and the Blue Raider Network.