MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Sometimes in softball, you can go through stretches where you can barely put the bat on the ball and it finds green grass for a hit. Other times, you can square the ball up and it unfortunately always goes right at somebody. This was one of those weekends for Middle Tennessee State (13-18, 2-4) against Conference USA leader, Louisiana Tech (19-5, 5-1). Looking to avoid the sweep on Sunday, the Blue Raiders stayed the course at the plate and were able to hand the Bulldogs their first loss in conference play on the year, taking the series finale 5-1.
“We met up as a team before the game and said that we had to attack their pitchers,” said Middle Tennessee second baseman Shelby Echols. “No matter what, we just really tried to put the bat on the ball today.”
Following a two-out double by Amaya Harris, Riley Gilmore drove in her fourth run of the season with a single through the right side to give MTSU a 1-0 advantage heading into the second inning. In the bottom of the second, Lexi Medlock and Julia Garcia got on to lead off the inning and Medlock came in to score on a throwing error to make it a 2-0 ballgame. With two outs, leadoff hitter Shelby Echols picked up her 16th RBI of the season with a single to left field to give Middle Tennessee a 3-0 lead going into the third, plating Shelby Sargent who slid in just under the tag from Bulldog catcher Brooke Diaz. Echols reached base four times with three walks and an RBI to finish the series.
“I always try my best because I know that the people behind me can move me around,” Echols said. “It really gets our offensive hits and energy up once that first person is able to get on base.”
Amaya Harris drove in her team-high 19th RBI of the year in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score second baseman Ava Brooks to make it 4-0 Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raider right fielder capped off a terrific weekend, going 3-for-9 with two RBIs, a run and two extra-base hits against the current first place team in Conference USA.
“(The production at the top of the lineup) is really important for us,” said Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jeff Breeden. “We want (Echols) to continue getting on as much as she has. It’s not that she always has to smack one around the yard, but we need her to be that table setter. When Amaya (Harris) comes up, I feel good. When (Harris) steps into the box, it doesn’t matter who we’re facing, I think she’s going to give us everything she’s got. Riley Gilmore did a good job in the four-spot today. She’s young and had an RBI, so if they continue being good and (Shelby) Sargent can keep turning back over to them at the bottom, we’ll keep being good.”
Middle Tennessee starter Kamryn Carcich was perfect through the game’s first four innings prior to Louisiana Tech finally breaking through in the fifth inning, but the Blue Raider outfield made several great plays to help the senior right-hander get out of the inning with a 4-1 lead intact. Carcich’s final line in her eighth win and sixth complete game of the year had two strikeouts with just one run and three hits allowed.
“You never want to have anybody sweep you, you always try to get at least one, or preferably two at your place,” Breeden said. “We felt like we gave one away Saturday that we could’ve won and (Carcich) came back and pitched well today. I think the key to us is we win when we don’t walk people. Friday we walked seven and we lost. Yesterday Claire only had one walk and we were in it. Today, (Carcich) had a no-hitter through five. (Carcich) showed she has some guts and character about her and only had one walk and was able to have a complete game, so that was good.”
The Middle Tennessee offense immediately went back to work, with Ansley Blevins and Lexi Medlock both collecting a hit to put runners on first and second to begin the inning. Julia Sitterding pinch-ran for Blevins and came in to score on an error to get Middle Tennessee its’ fourth inning run that it surrendered back to give itself a 5-1 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.
By the Numbers
· 11 – doubles for Amaya Harris this season, a team-high
· 6:8– the team-high in complete games and wins for Kamryn Carcich, both team-bests
Up Next
The Blue Raiders remain at home for their next match-up, which comes this Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. CDT against the Austin Peay Governors.
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