Middle Tennessee baseball (17-16, 5-7 CUSA) defeated Lipscomb University (14-15, 5-7 CUSA) 5-3 in an in-state midweek matchup at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
With the score tied 3-3 at the bottom of the eighth inning, the Blue Raiders’ bats came alive as a shot into left field by catcher Tyler Minnick squeaked past the glove of the Lipscomb shortstop Kai Holm, driving in two go-ahead runs for MTSU.
“I went from a very low point into dang, I rolled out to the shortstop to, oh, wow, he goofed it, let’s go,” Minnick said. “In the eighth inning, that was a big spot.”
As Brett Vondohlen and Nathan Brewer crossed home plate, the Blue Raiders held onto a 5-3 victory that snapped a four-game losing streak. The breakthrough came after a weekend when MTSU struggled to convert in-late game opportunities in an away series at Jacksonville State University.
The win over the Bison was far from dominant, but it provided the needed response after a competitive series loss to the Gamecocks.
“It’s important that you come back and win that game at home,” Meyers said. “We played well this weekend [against Jax State] and didn’t win. So it was important for us to maybe not play as well, but still win.”
Abel Albarran got the start on the bump for MTSU. The junior arm had a strong outing over three innings of work, posting a career-high five strikeouts while allowing two runs in the second frame.
Lipscomb started the scoring at the top of the second inning as outfielder Keaton Mahan scored off an errant pick-off attempt by Albarran. The Bison tacked on another run as outfielder Brady Miller knocked in a base hit to drive in a run.
After a scoreless third, MTSU’s bats got hot in the bottom of the fourth inning. Following a strikeout, shortstop Clay Badylak stepped up to the plate and knocked a single into center field to drive Brewer in from second.
On the ensuing at-bat, Owen Nowak walked, setting the table for a Minnick single, driving in Nowak from second. After the two Middle Tennessee runs to tie the game at 2-2, a solo-shot in the top of the seventh by Holm pulled the Bison in front 3-2 at the end of the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Dean O’Neill singled into center field, putting a runner on with one out. Following the base hit, Meyers turned to infielder Grant Snider to pinch run for O’Neill. Snider delivered immediately, stealing second, and later scoring on a Brett Vondohlen single, tying the game 3-3, setting up the decisive Minnick two-run hit.
“He [Snider] runs fast, Dean runs slow,” Meyers said, laughing. “He has his good instincts on the bases for sure.”
Along with timely hitting, the Blue Raiders’ bullpen provided valuable innings on the mound. Between four arms, the solo-shot in the seventh was the only run given up down the stretch.
Collin Kerrigan stepped onto the mound in the top of the eighth, pitching one scoreless inning, securing the win. Gavin King shut the door on the 5-3 victory, striking out the final batter, picking up his second career save.
“If we keep playing the way we are, things will eventually fall,” Minnick said. “It is a long season, and we’re about halfway through conference play, so we just keep grinding.”
On deck for Middle Tennessee is a weekend series in Ruston, Louisiana, as the Blue Raiders take on Louisiana Tech University (18-16, 6-6 CUSA) in a weekend series at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park on April 10-12, with first pitch on Friday scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT.
To contact the sports editor, email [email protected].
Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
