Lady Raiders Sweep Belmont

Nashville, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee softball (5-5) swept Belmont (1-2-1) in a twin bill on Monday 8-2, 5-1.

Middle Tennessee scored two runs in the second inning. Leah Grothause recorded a lead-off double; Megan Cherinka followed with a double that sent Grothause home. Cherinka advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on a Michelle Wilkes single. The Lady Raiders added a run in the fourth. Muriel Ledbetter scored on a sacrifice fly.

Belmont answered in the fourth, scoring two runs to bring the score within one. A Heidi Lane double scored Amanda Jones and Sara Peebles.

In the sixth inning, however, the Lady Raiders shut the door on the Bruins, scoring five runs. Junior Cortney Mitchell hit a three-run homer, her second this season, to give Middle Tennessee the 8-2 win. The fourteen hits the Lady Raiders put together in game one was the most offensive output the Middle Tennessee has had this season.

"It was nice to see our bats come alive," said head coach Cindy Connelley. "We really had a good day at the plate."

Stayc Preator was the winning pitcher as she improved to 3-2 overall as she only allowed two runs on five hits and recorded eight strikeouts. Preator's performance was impressive since she was involved in a car accident three hours prior to the game.

In the second game of the double header, Middle Tennessee defeated Belmont 5-1. The Lady Raiders scored two runs in the fourth inning and added three in the seventh. Sophomore Dani DeCamino led the team with a 2-for-3 performance and one RBI. Tiffany Childress picked up the first win as a Lady Raider with one run on five hits, and Valerie Swanson recorded the save.

Belmont scored its only run of the game in the fourth inning. Jones scored on a Lane double.

Middle Tennessee travels to Clarksville, Tenn. on Tuesday to take on Austin Peay. First pitch action, in the double header, begins at 2 p.m.

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