Softball Sweeps Doubleheader

Bowling Green, Ky. - Middle Tennessee's softball team swept a double header from Sun Belt rival Western Kentucky Friday night, 2-0 and 2-1.

The Lady Raiders (37-20, 10-8) got two runs in the opening frame of game one and cruised the rest of the way behind Jennifer Martinez, who scattered seven hits recording her 10th shutout of the season. She did not allow a runner to advance past second base improving to 16-12 on the season.

The Lady Raiders had three straight hits in the top of the first including a double from Martinez as Middle Tennessee took a 1-0 lead. Lisa Sherman and Erica Buhl preceded Martinez' RBI double with singles.

Buhl later scored on a two-out single by Courtney Wallace for the 2-0 lead. Buhl, Sherman, and Wallace led the Lady Raiders as each went 2-for-3 in the game.

Martinez tied Stayc Preator for the team lead with 10 shutouts, one off the school record set by Jaclyn Story. Martinez recorded four strikeouts leaving her just 20 shy of her third straight season with 200 strikeouts.

In the second game, the Lady Raiders plated two runs in the top of the fifth to overcome the Toppers 1-0 lead.

After a lead-off single by Kelly Cormier and a double by Ashlie Way, Steffi Silva drove a base hit through the right side of the infield tying the game at one. Phillips followed with a fielder's choice knocking in the game-winning run. Cormier and Way collected two hits each to lead the Lady Raiders seven-hit attack.

Preator (16-7) stifled Western Kentucky tossing a three-hit complete game. After the Lady Raiders had taken a 2-1 lead, Preator allowed a lead-off single in the bottom half but struck out the side leaving a runner stranded a second.

She closed out the game retiring nine straight including five strikeouts over the final three innings. She finished with seven in the game.

The two teams will concluded the four-game series Saturday with a double headers beginning at 3:00 p.m.

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