Middle Tennessee came into the weekend looking to build off a 14-9 midweek victory over Lipscomb and capture its first CUSA series of the season. MTSU starting pitcher Will Jenkins was shelled from the start, putting the Blue Raiders in a tough spot. But the offense wasn’t sharp either, as the Liberty Flames run-ruled Middle 13-3 in eight innings.
Eston Snider started the ballgame with a bloop single into right field, but after trying to stretch it to a double, he slipped and came up gimpy while limping back to the dugout. Brett Rogers and Tyler Minnick would record consecutive outs to end the frame.
Jenkins was shelled in the first, starting with a Cal Early double to lead off the frame. Jaxon Sorenson walked two batters later but wouldn’t stay at first base for long as Nick Barone doubled to right field, driving in both runs.
Camden Troyer collected a single to put runners at the corners with one out, but Seth Christmas would drive another pair of runners in on a one-bagger. Jenkins retired Michael Robertson on a fielder’s choice to end the frame, but not until four runs had been scored while his pitch count was driven up to 36.
Brett Vondohlen began the top of the second with a ground-rule double, but back-to-back strikeouts brought Keaton Ray up to the plate with two outs. Ray got a good swing on a 1-0 count pitch, but the wind didn’t carry it enough as the ball was caught on the warning track for the third out of the frame.
The Flames jumped on Jenkins again in the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles before Christmas walked to load the bases. Jenkins recorded consecutive strikeouts on just six pitches, and it looked like he would get out of the jam with no damage allowed. However, Early laced a single up the middle to extend the Liberty lead to 6-0 before Tanner Marsh flew out to end the frame.
Jenkins recorded two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but a double by Troyer would extend the inning. Michael Gibson drove him in on a single to shallow center field, forcing a mound visit from MTSU head coach Jerry Meyers, but to no avail. Christmas launched a two-run shot over the wall, and Jenkins’ day would be done after 3 2/3 innings of nine-run ball.
Matthew Driver would take his spot and recorded the third out of the inning with a groundout of Landon Scilley.
Driver and Ethan Imbimbo would go 1 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball before Meyers would bring Garrett Sims in to pitch in the bottom of the sixth. He would immediately be rocked after Troyer launched a solo home run off the batter’s eye in center field, putting the run rule into effect. Sims would be pulled for Jack Fortner after only two batters faced.
Fortner would get two flyouts to end the inning and send the game into the seventh, with MTSU down to its final three outs before the game would be called for a mercy rule.
The Blue Raider offense finally showed life with two singles by Vondohlen and Clay Badylak to get MTSU started in the top of the seventh. Kenny McKinley delivered with a three-run bomb over the left field wall to get Middle on the board and extend the game.
Liberty would threaten in the bottom of the inning as they loaded the bases with one out against Fortner. Barone walked on the payoff pitch to score a run, but the MT hurler struck out two batters to strand the bases loaded.
The Flames continued to hit Fortner around in the eighth inning, but they were able to capitalize on it this time. An RBI single by Robertson made it 12-3 before Jaxon Sorenson singled through the middle of the infield to score a run and end the game due to mercy rule.
Middle Tennessee will return to the diamond tomorrow at 2 p.m. from Worthington Field. Chandler Alderman is the likely starting pitcher for the Blue Raiders.
