Blue Raiders Rally To Win Nightcap, 6-5
May 25, 2016 | Softball
Middle Tennessee Explodes For Four-Run Seventh To End 11-Game Skid
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Christi Benton's RBI double with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning plated Liz Davis with the game-winning run as the Blue Raiders erased a 4-0 deficit midway through the back end of its doubleheader with six runs in the final three frames to upend visiting Mississippi State, 6-5, Thursday evening at Blue Raider Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
State (18-12) pounded out eight hits in the outing, including multi-hit tallies from both Tanelda McDonald (2-for-3, R, RBI) and Katie Johnson (2-for-3, 2 R), but got just one base knock in the final two innings of play to help keep the hosts in the game. Middle Tennessee (4-14) snapped an 11-game losing streak with 10 hits of their own, keyed by a 3-for-3 night from Brandi Boehner, as well as a pair of 2-for-4 hitting lines from Trish White and Jennifer Grybash. It was the Blue Raiders' first triumph since a 10-2 win over Lipscomb on March 2.
State got an outstanding outing from starter Stephanie Comeaux, but the Moss Point native chased herself after five innings of work with an apparent knee injury. Sara Hickerson and Melissa Massey (7-4) took care of the final two frames of work, with Massey saddling the loss after giving up the game-winning score on a pair of hits in the last frame.
We thought that first game scoring could continue and that was the most frustrating thing about it, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. We let them hang around and they worked themselves back into the ballgame. I didn't think we had very many quality at-bats, but five runs should be enough to win a game. We've got to have players step up sooner and later and shut people down in those situations. We got no relief pitching at all tonight.
The Bulldogs built a 4-0 lead through four and one-half innings of play, but the Blue Raiders finally woke up their bats in their half of the fifth, getting their first run of the game courtesy of an infield RBI single by Jennifer Grybash. MSU stretched their lead back to four on Michelle Kinney's RBI double in the sixth, but MTSU answered with a run of its own on Boehner's single in their half of the frame.
MTSU got a leadoff double from Grybash in the seventh, then used singles with its next two at-bats score a pair of runs and chase reliever Sara Hickerson. Massey loaded the bases with a five-pitch walk to Davis and White followed with a two-run single that tied the game.
Mississippi State will return to action on Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to nearby Knoxville for a 1 p.m. ET doubleheader with fourth-ranked Tennessee (31-4, 4-1 SEC). The two will close out their series on Sunday with a single game that has also been slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
