Featured photo by Preston Todd
Story by Jacob Burgess
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn – Wet weather led to a cancellation of the first game of the MTSU Invitational, but Middle Tennessee softball (4-12) picked up a 9-1 win over Detroit Mercy (0-5) Friday afternoon at Blue Raider Softball Field.
MTSU pitcher Camryn Carcich and Detroit Mercy counterpart Jordan Kavanaugh started the game trading no- run innings. Through the first two innings both pitchers got into tight situations with runners in scoring position.
“I need to lock in in that moment. I wasn’t here for the week so coming back and kind of getting back into the groove took me a couple batters.” Carcich said.
Carcich surrendered a run in the top of the third when Detroit Mercy’s Jada Davis hit a double to center field, scoring the runner on base.
MTSU’s response was a four-run fourth inning and three-run fifth inning. MTSU started the scoring in exciting fashion with runners on the corners committing a double- steal play. The Blue Raiders were able to add on a second run on a sacrifice bunt and two more runs with a two-run home run by Ava Tepe.
“It just puts us up more and help us roll as a team, keep the bats hot. There was kind of no stopping us in that inning.” Tepe said.
MTSU kept the bats hot in the fifth inning, facing new Detroit Mercy pitcher Olivia Warrington. The top of the Blue Raider lineup added to the tally with home run after home run.
“Throughout our lineup today we hit the ball hard,” MTSU head coach Jeff Breeden said. “Tepe was big on the home run, Echols got robbed a couple times but still got a hit, Brooks got the squeeze down. We executed our offense, we scored on the squeeze, we got the sacrifice flies, we got our sacrifice bunts down and we hit the long ball.”
The ability to score runs lacked early in the season for the Blue Raiders, but the past two weekends they put the barrel to the ball.
“Our lineup has been different every time, so we are looking for people that are going to hit the ball.” Breeden said.
If Middle Tennessee can carry the latest offensive performances into the rest of the MTSU Invitational, a winning weekend would be no surprise.
Jacob Burgess is a sportswriter for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can contact him at [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
