March 14, 2010

click here for complete list of scores

click here for Around the Bases

CBI Live
Edwards pitches MTSU past ULM for Sun Belt series win

By Jimmy Jones

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

(photos by Jimmy Jones)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.--Right-hander Chad Edwards (1-1) (right) gave Middle Tennessee just what they needed with his best start of the season on Sunday against Louisiana-Monroe. The senior went eight innings, scattered seven hits and allowed just two earned runs to pick up the 9-3 win in the rubber match of the Sun Belt Conference opening series for both squads.
 
"When you go into the rubber game of the series, you expect runs to be scored," said head coach Steve Peterson. "But Chad was pretty tough today. Once he gets going, he can change up speeds and really locate his fastball well."
 
Tyler Burnett jump-started the Blue Raider offense with a triple just inside the left field line in the first inning. He came around to score on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Justin Guidry.
 
MTSU (2-1, 10-5) bumped the score to 3-0 in the second when first baseman Blake McDade led off the inning with a two-base hit and advanced on a productive out by Stuart Meinhart. Ryan Ford waited out a walk to place runners at the corners.
 
Burnett followed with a ball hit deep into the four hole that Warhawk second baseman Caleb Clowers fielded but threw wildly allowing both runners to score.
 
Clowers (left) made up for the error in the top half of the third with a drive over the right filed wall to score Boomer Blanchard who reached on a bunt single to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Clowers has now hit safely in 9 of 12 games for the Warhawks (1-2, 7-7) and has reached base safely in 11 of 12 contests to start the season.
 
The Blue Raiders answered the bell with a run courtesy of a Bryce Brentz walk and an RBI double by Burnett, a preseason All-Sun Belt selection, to make the score 4-2. The junior from Murfreesboro ended the day with three hits and scored two runs to go with his RBI.
 
ULM wasted a golden opportunity in the fourth when they loaded the bases on a single by Josh Chappell, a one-out walk to Perry Smith and an infield error that allowed Jarrett Hammond to reach.
 
Blue Raider third baseman Tyler Burnett booted a grounder to allow one run to score but Edwards induced Blanchard into a groundball out to first baseman Blake McDade to end the threat and keep his team up by a slim 4-3 margin.
 
A sac fly by Brentz (right) put the Blue Raiders up 5-3 in the seventh before the home team opened the game up in the eighth inning with a four-run rally.
 
Zach Hudson got it started with a base hit and McDade moved him over to third with a two-bagger down the left filed line. Meinhart picked up an RBI with a single to score Hudson. Hunter Dawson hit one back up the middle to score McDade to up the advantage to 7-3.
 
Ford walked to load the bases and Drew Robertson capped the scoring with a grounder through the left side of the diamond to account for the final tally.
 
Jordy Poche (1-1) (left), charged with the loss, pitched well for the Warhawks, allowing four runs - three earned - on seven hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked three before exiting the game prior to the start of the seventh inning.
 
The Blue Raiders will hit the road for a four-game swing beginning on Tuesday, March 16, to play in-state foe Lipscomb at Ken Dugan Field in Nashville at 3 p.m.