After a heartbreaking loss on Friday night, MTSU came into Saturday looking to even things up and force a rubber match against Western Kentucky. Blue Raider starting pitcher Drew Horn set the tone with five innings of good baseball while getting support from his offense. Middle Tennessee put up 10 runs on the No. 1 ERA team in the nation, leading to a 10-3 blowout victory for the Blue Crew.

MTSU recorded two quick outs on five pitches to begin the day. But Brett Vondohlen made sure it wouldn’t be a 1-2-3 inning, roping a standup double down the right-field line. Tyler Minnick followed that with a single up the middle of the infield as Vondohlen got the sign to round third and go home. However, a great throw from Ryan Wideman in center field hosed Vondohlen at the plate to end the frame.

Thomas Marsala led off the bottom of the second with a single up the middle, then stole second base a few pitches later. Horn struck out the next batter, but Austin Haller followed it with a base knock to shallow left field.

It should have just been a simple single. But once the ball was back in the infield, Clay Badylak fired an errant throw from third to first, allowing a run to score. Horn rebounded with back-to-back punchouts to end the inning.

Eston Snider got on base due to a fielder’s choice in the top of the third inning. Although Badylak made a boneheaded error in the previous frame, he made up for it with an RBI double to tie things at one apiece. The middle infielder advanced to third on a bad pickoff throw by Dawson Hall, then scored after Vondohlen got on base due to a throwing error by the WKU shortstop.

Keaton Ray would ground out to end the frame, but the Blue Raiders had flipped things and taken a 2-1 advantage.

It seemed Middle Tennessee would go down quietly after back-to-back outs to begin the top of the fourth. But that’s when Hayden Miller and Cooper Clapp got on base via singles, and then Snider would drive in a run on his base knock up the middle of the infield.

Badylak delivered once more with an RBI single up the middle, then Vondohlen ripped a two-run double to right-center field to give MTSU a 6-1 lead. There was still a lot of ball left, but the Blue Raiders stunned the Hilltoppers after a four-run inning where every run came with two outs.

After surrendering a base knock to begin the bottom of the frame, the MTSU trainer and head coach Jerry Meyers would make a trip to the mound to check on Horn. The mound visit would last a few minutes, but it ended in Horn staying in the game with a five-run lead.

The Blue Raiders continued to mash at the plate when Wolfe walked to start the top of the fifth. Miller came up two batters later and crushed a two-run bomb over the left-center field wall, giving Middle an 8-1 lead.

Horn had to be checked by the medical staff an inning prior but returned for the bottom of the fifth and retired the side on seven pitches. That would be the end of his day as he tossed five innings while allowing four hits, one walk, no earned runs, and striking out five Hilltoppers.

Right-hander Ollie Akens took his spot. While he got into trouble, allowing two ‘Tops to get on base with two outs, he rebounded by forcing an Ethan Lizama flyout to end the inning.

MTSU tacked on more in the top of the seventh when Ray drew a leadoff walk, followed by a Wolfe sac-bunt to advance the runner to second base. Brett Rogers quickly took Ray off the base paths with an RBI double to left-center field. Miller came to bat next and picked up his third hit of the ballgame, an RBI double.

That was all Middle Tennessee could get in the frame, but they had essentially put a nail in the coffin as they led 10-1 headed to the bottom of the seventh. WKU did counter that run with a solo home run off the bat of Kyle Hayes to cut the lead and send the game into the ninth.

While Western scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, Akens took care of business and ensured that would be the only damage done, as MTSU won 10-3.

The Blue Raiders will be back on the diamond tomorrow for a rubber match against No. 20 Western Kentucky. First pitch is at 1 p.m., and Chandler Alderman is the probable starter for MTSU.