Murfreesboro, Tenn. – MTSU was able to hang on for a 6-4 victory on Friday night, but that was not the case on Saturday, as they bounced back in a big way. Chandler Alderman was great on the mound, delivering six scoreless innings while he received excellent run support, as the Blue Raiders mercy-ruled the FDU Knights 11-0 to take the series victory with a chance to sweep tomorrow.

“I think we did a good job all the way around. Chandler [Alderman] allowed us to get something going offensively, and for the most part, I think we played pretty hard throughout the game,” says MTSU head coach Jerry Meyers. “We played well in all three phases of the game, and hopefully, we can continue that tomorrow.”

Brett Vondohlen got the Blue Raiders on the board early when he came to the plate in the first inning. The redshirt sophomore got a big swing off and launched the ball off the "Lee Victory Wall” in left field, adding to his team-high in homers with three and giving MTSU the 1-0 lead.

Middle Tennessee would add to its lead in the second when Nathan Brewer reached on an error by the first baseman. He would advance to second on a wild pitch before going to third on a Matt Wolfe infield double due to miscommunication by the Knights. Clay Badylak would fly out to shallow center field, but Brewer sprinted home and slid just under the tag, scoring the second Blue Raider run.

Brett Rogers would join the hit party with an RBI single up the middle, his first collegiate hit, extending the lead to 3-0.

MTSU threatened in the fourth inning when Badylak walked, Rogers singled, and a pitch hit Eston Snider to load the bases with only one out. Vondohlen grounded out to second base, but it scored a runner to widen the margin. Tyler Minnick would strike out to end the frame, but the damage had been done as the Blue Raiders led 4-0 after four.

The Blue Raiders loaded the bases again in the next inning, and after a Badylak walk, Trace Phillips scored. Eston Snider came up the next at-bat and mashed his second home run in as many days, this one a grand slam to up the lead 9-0 and begin to close the door on a series victory.

“I came up to the plate, not trying to do too much, just get the bat on the ball and put up some more runs on the board to give our pitchers more of a lead,” Snider said.

Chandler Alderman followed that big inning with another masterclass on the mound, striking out two through the frame. He would be pulled for Garrett Sims after a great outing. He went six innings of shutout baseball, allowing just three base runners and striking out six.

“I was getting ahead in the count. Last week, I wasn’t doing that, but today, I had some confidence up there, and I threw my best stuff,” said Alderman.

Sims did a nice job on the mound, starting with a groundout and punchout. He hit and walked a batter to put two on but quickly ended the threat with a strikeout of Andrew Bouffard to send it to the bottom of the seventh.

The Blue Raiders put two on with two outs after a Badylak single and Snider walk, followed by a Vondohlen walk to load the bases with Minnick coming up to the plate. The big catcher knocked a ball through the left side of the infield to score both runners and end the contest in a run-rule walk-off, 11-0.

“It’s good [offensive run support]. We got enough out of Alderman and hopefully get a couple more guys in the game tomorrow without having to get them up in the ‘pen today, so it was good.”

The Blue Raiders will be back in action on Sunday afternoon with a chance to sweep the Knights. First pitch is at 1 p.m., and Drew Horn will be on the mound.