Murfreesboro, Tenn. – MTSU dropped its midweek game to Alabama on Tuesday but would have a chance to get back on track when the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights came to Reese Smith Jr Field for a three-game set. The Blue Raiders got rolling early after another sensational day from Trace Phillips and solid run support. The Knights made a late comeback, but it wasn’t enough to take the lead as MTSU won the game 6-4.

“He [Trace Phillips] had been out there enough last year, maybe not good results every time on the mound, but that experience was invaluable. That led to the jump this year, along with the physical and stuff-wise, and he’s improved a lot,” said MTSU head coach Jerry Meyers.

Eston Snider started the game with a bang, a solo home run on the second pitch to give MTSU the lead. That would be followed by Brett Vondohlen and Tyler Minnick singles to put two on with no outs. But the Blue Raiders would record three consecutive outs to strand both runners after the fast start offensively.

Phillips posted a second consecutive scoreless inning in the second, with the Blue Raider bats due back up. Nathan Brewer led off with a single before a double play would take him off the base paths and put two outs on the board. Clay Badylak would get on base via a two-out single to extend the inning, but he would be thrown out at second base a few pitches later to end the frame.

Snider popped up to begin the third inning but took advantage of a fielding error to end up at second base. Vondohlen singled into left field to put runners at the corners before Minnick hit into an RBI groundout to double the Blue Raider lead, 2-0. MTSU strung a couple of hits together, but a long fly ball by Matt Wolfe was just short and caught at the left field warning track to end the inning with just a run scored.

Both offenses would go silent over the next few innings, with Phillips being dominant and MTSU squandering several opportunities on the bases. Phillips would end his day with six scoreless innings of ball, allowing five hits and fanning nine along the way.

“I’ve just been trying to get ahead in the count, especially in the early innings. The attacking mindset and trying to get the game to the bullpen with as little runs on the board as possible has been my approach,” said Phillips. “Growing into my body more and taking that break seriously while also letting the development part take its course helped me improve in the offseason.”

Brewer laced a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth inning, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Badylak would drive him in on an infield single and would steal second due to a throwing error that allowed him to advance to third. MTSU third base coach Kevin Nichols saw an opportunity and sent the senior home, and he scored on a second throwing error, extending the Blue Raider lead to 4-0.

Fairleigh Dickinson would get on the board in the seventh when Landen Burch came in to relieve Phillips and immediately got into trouble. Nick Quagliato and Hunter Ray got on to begin the frame, then advanced to second and third after a sacrifice groundout. Quagliato scored on an RBI groundout, but Burch would get out of the jam when he struck out Joey Dimotta to strand two runners on base.

MTSU couldn’t make any noise in the bottom half of the inning and went down in order, but after seven innings, led 4-1.

Burch got into trouble a second time and allowed a run to score, making the game 4-2, but got out of it by giving up just one run. After allowing a Knight to score, he would strike out two batters to keep the lead intact.

Middle Tennessee got its first two batters on base to begin the eighth inning, and both advanced on a Hayden Miller sacrifice groundout. Badylak would come up clutch once again with a knock into right field to score the two runners and put a stamp on the MTSU victory.

“I was trying to stay with our approach and sit fastball up and pull breaking balls, keep them out of the air, and just try to hit hard ground balls,” says Badylak.

Colin Kerrigan would come into the game to close out a Friday victory. He got into early trouble with a single and double, followed by an error that scored a run. Another runner would come around on a fielder’s choice to cut the lead to a pair. Kerrigan would eventually get out of the jam, and the ballgame would end on a groundout as the Blue Raiders took the series opener to FDU 6-4.

MTSU will be back in action on Saturday against the Knights for the second of the three-game set. First pitch is at 1 p.m., and the probable pitcher is Chandler Alderman.