MTSU Softball had a 4-0 loss to #15 Tennessee in game 1 of the Eagle Round Robin in Statesboro, Ga. Then they won 4 straight . Sunday’s results we as follows:
Tennessee Tech
The teams traded home runs in the second inning. Tennessee Tech’s Bayli Cruse lifted one to left and in the bottom half of the frame Austyn Whaley sent one to the same spot to tie the game at one apiece.
In the bottom of the fourth Summer Burgess hit the first non-home run hit of game, a single through the left side. Then Lexi Cushing crushed a two-run homer to dead center to give MT the 3-1 lead.
Tech was able to load the bases in top of fifth but with two outs Kirstyn Cuccia made a fully extended diving catch in foul territory to get the Raiders out of the jam.
Middle broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs on five hits. Kaylyn Slatter slammed a huge single to right off the fence to score one. Burgess then hit a double to left to bring two more across the plate. Then Whaley ripped a triple off the center field fence and Cushing drove a single up the middle to each add another run, making it 8-1 in favor of MT.
The Golden Eagles were able to sneak one across in the sixth following an error by the Blue Raiders.
Pattie Ruth Taylor came in to close the game in the seventh inning and shut down Tech in order, recording one strikeout in the process.
Gretchen Greer (2-0) got the win in the circle, striking out eight in six innings of work.
Georgia Southern
The Blue Raiders picked up where they left off in game two, with explosive bats and dynamic pitching. MT scored 11 runs on 11 hits and in the circle, Cori Jennings threw a no-hitter.
The scoring started in the first inning as MT loaded the bases and was able to push one across as Cushing hit a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Cushing struck again with her third home run of the weekend. This time a two run shot to right field. Whaley was the runner on base, getting a single to left center in the at bat prior.
The Raiders lifted another over the fence in the fourth inning. Keely McGee hit a solo home run to right field. MT added two more in the inning with a double to right center off the bat of Whaley.
Georgia Southern countered in the bottom half of the frame, with a solo home run of their own, the only hit for GS in the entire game. Emily Snider hit her third homer of the tournament over the left field fence to make it 6-1.
Middle Tennessee put up another run in the fifth frame. Kaylyn Slatter reached base on a single and Lauren Payne came into pinch run, scoring on a wild pitch.
Jennings had six strikeouts in the game, half of those came in the fifth inning as she struck out the side.
In the top of the sixth, Middle put the game away, adding four runs. The Raiders got four hits, including a two-run single by Morgan Harris. MT was also gifted two errors and a hit batter to end the game in six innings.
Jennings move to 2-1 on the year, getting her first complete game win. Cushing had 4 RBIs in the game while Whaley and Harris each had two.
