Baseball: Wyrick fans 10 in Middle Tennessee victory

Photo by Darius Horton / MTSU Sidelines

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (15-11, 4-3) traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, to take on the Old Dominion Monarchs (9-11, 2-5) in a three-game conference series.

In a dominating performance, the Blue Raiders scored first in the top of the first inning and never trailed in the game. They outlasted the Monarchs’ ninth-inning rally, and claimed a 10-5 victory.

Pitching guides Middle to win

Senior left-hander Jake Wyrick got the start on the mound for the Raiders, and followed up his previous start against Charlotte with another great performance. He threw six innings of one-run ball and struck out 10 batters in the win.

The senior also didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, and only gave up two in his six innings.

Following a 20-minute delay after the outfield stadium lights went out, right-handed sophomore Scheldon Paulk relieved Wyrick in the top of the seventh inning.

Paulk struggled in his 2.1 innings on the mound, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits before being relieved by junior right-hander Tyler Holcombe. He closed out the game by recording the final two outs.

Offense breaks out in winning effort

Middle Tennessee scored first in this one, going up 2-0 after the first inning. They held the lead for the entirety of the game, as the pitching staff held the Monarch offense in check.

This allowed the MTSU offense to break through against the ODU pitching staff. In the sixth inning, the Raiders went off for six runs to bring the score to a commanding 10-1 lead.

They wouldn’t have to score for the rest of the game, and held on for a 10-5 victory after the Monarchs put together a late rally in the ninth inning.

Juniors Austin Dennis and Blake Benefield, and senior Aaron Aucker each recorded two hits, while junior LA Woodard scored three runs.

What’s next?

The Blue Raiders will play the Monarchs again on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled at 2 p.m.

To contact Sports Editor Rusty Ellis, email sports@mtsusidelines.com.

For more sports stories, follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter and Periscope at @Sidelines_Sport.