Blue Raider Softball gets series win with 9-8 victory over LA Tech

Photo by Tyler Lamb / Sports Editor

After splitting Saturday’s double-header and after two weather delays on Sunday, the Blue Raiders softball team found a way to pick up a 9-8 win in game three of the series against LA Tech to give them their first series win in quite some time.

LA Tech got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first before a 30-minute lightning delay occurred in the second inning. After the delay LA Tech got on the board again, making it a 4-0 game after two innings.

The Raiders bats woke up in the top of the third inning, scoring four runs on five hits. The Blue Raiders tied it up at four runs a piece until the bottom half of the inning, when LA Tech would explode for three more runs of their own to take a 7-4 lead after three innings of play.

The scoring battle continued in the top of the fourth as the Raiders tied the game up at seven, thanks in large part to Kaylyn Slatter’s first career home run and a two-run shot from Precious Birdsong.

The bottom half of the inning saw LA Tech regain the lead at 8-7 before Middle once again tied the game at eight in the fifth.

Both teams bats finally cooled off and the game remained tied at eight through seven innings. MT loaded the bases in the top of the inning and took a 9-8 lead on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Austyn Whaley that scored Summer Burgess.

The Blue Raider defense solidified the 9-8 victory in the bottom of the eighth with a running catch from Deja Portillo in left and a sliding catch along the first base dugout from Morgan Harris.

Gretchen Greer picked up the win in the circle for the Blue Raiders after striking out nine opponent batters. Her outing improved her record to 5-2 on the year.

Leading Hitters:

Precious Birdsong: 2-for-3, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI’s, HR.

Kaylyn Slatter: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI’s, HR.

Austyn Whaley: 2-for-4, run scored, 2 RBI’s.

WHAT’S NEXT?

MT will travel to Nashville, TN and take on Belmont on Wednesday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

Follow MTSU Softball beat writers Cody Strickler (@CodyStricklerSL) and Nick Hardin (@nlhardin2) on Twitter for more coverage.