Murfreesboro, Tenn. – MTSU captured a victory against the Oakland Grizzlies last night, but it was looking for a series victory when Chandler Alderman took the mound on Saturday. The Blue Raiders put together a solid game on the mound, but a ninth-inning rally by Oakland sent the game into extras.
Middle won that extra-inning battle after a walk-off single by Jaxon Junnila in the 11th sent the Blue Raider dugout in excitement as they had won the series after a 6-5 victory.
Alderman was hit hard from the jump, allowing a single and double to begin the game. Matthew McGann drove them in on a single through the right side of the infield, followed by a single up the middle by Ben Clark to score McGann. Alderman got out of the first, but the damage had been done as the Golden Grizzlies were up 3-0 early.
A pitch hit Nathan Brewer to begin the second. Then he advanced to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher. In the at-bat, Matt Wolfe came up clutch on the payoff pitch and singled up the middle to score Brewer.
Junnila singled, and then Clay Badylak walked to load the bases with Eston Snider coming to the plate. He grounded out, but it drove in Wolfe to cut the Oakland lead to one run. Brett Vondohlen changed that when he came up next and homered on the second pitch of the at-bat, his seventh of the year, putting the Blue Raiders up 5-3.
Both offenses went quiet for a bit, but things got dicey in the top of the sixth. Brandon Nigh doubled to lead off the inning, and then a pitch hit McGann to put two runners on. Alderman would force a groundout, but both runners advanced into scoring position, and he would be pulled for Will Jenkins.
It would be a tall task for Jenkins, but MTSU needed him to preserve the lead. He did just that by striking out two Golden Grizzlies to end the threat and keep Middle Tennessee in front, 5-3.
Through the seventh and eighth, both teams could only string together two combined hits due to the excellent pitching of Jenkins and Oakland pitcher Andrew Landis. The Blue Raider hurler would return for the ninth inning and try to shut things down for a series victory.
Boston Halloran led the frame off with a single, but Jenkins would record two straight outs to put Oakland on the ropes. John Lauinger walked, and then the two advanced into scoring position with a double steal.
Aidan Schuck came up to the plate as the last hope for the Golden Grizzlies and delivered a single up the middle on a 1-2 count to score both runners and tie the game. Jenkins would get out of the half-inning, but the Blue Raiders had made things much harder on themselves. MTSU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth, so this thing would be headed to extras.
Ollie Akens came into the game to relieve Jenkins and retired the side, giving MTSU another opportunity to walk it off. Snider and Vondohlen reached base to open the frame, but the Blue Raiders squandered two runners after a double play and a Kenny McKinley strikeout.
Akens got into trouble in the 11th when he loaded the bases, with Nigh coming to bat. The two went back and forth, but Akens got the best of the right-handed batter with a strikeout to strand the bases loaded, keeping the game tied.
Nathan Brewer and Brett Rogers struck out to start the bottom of the frame, but Matt Wolfe ripped a double down the left-field line. Junnila came to the dish with an opportunity to walk things off, and he delivered a single up the middle to plate Wolfe and win the ballgame 6-5.
The Blue Raiders will be looking to sweep the Golden Grizzlies tomorrow. First pitch is at 1 p.m., and Drew Horn will be on the bump.
