Warren, Ervin Lead 21-6 Victory

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Myles Ervin and Adam Warren both recorded five hits and Ervin and Rawley Bishop each hit a pair of home runs, leading Middle Tennessee's 25-hit attack in a 21-6 victory over Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at Reese Smith Field. The teams have split the first two games and the Blue Raiders will aim for their fourth straight series victory in Sunday's rubber game at 1 p.m.

Ervin and Warren both accomplished a feat only 15 players in school history had previously recorded, the last coming in 2006 when Jeff Beachum had five hits against Lipscomb. The Blue Raiders (14-16, 7-4 Sun Belt) scored five runs in the second, four in the fourth, three times in the sixth and six runs in the eighth, using the big inning just as ULM did in Friday's 13-7 contest.

Ervin and Warren both scored four runs, while Ervin had a pair of solo homers, including one to leadoff the first inning. The two teams combined for seven home runs in the game on a day when the wind was blowing out hard to rightcenter.

Bishop had a three-run homer in the second inning and a two-run shot in the sixth, his eighth and ninth round-trippers of the year, and collected a career-high six RBIs in the contest. He also walked twice and was hit once and scored four runs.

Matt Campbell and Bishop both collected three hits in the Middle Tennessee attack, the most hits by the Blue Raiders since recording 22 at New Mexico State on April 6, 2002. Eight of the nine starters had at least two hits, with Justin Humphrey adding three RBIs.

Middle Tennessee starter Brad Robinson (3-0) worked a career-best 7.1 innings, giving up four earned runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out five. Travis Mathews got the final five outs of the game, striking out two.

ULM starter (3-1) Keith Christensen lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits. The Warhawks used five pitchers in the game, with only one not allowing a run.

The Blue Raiders got on the board early when Ervin hit the second pitch of the first inning over the wall down the rightfield line. Warren followed with a single, Bishop walked with one out and Campbell's double down the leftfield line gave the home team a 2-0 lead.

The wind was helpful for both teams, though, taking a fly ball to rightcenter off the bat of Josh Morrison off the top of the scoreboard in the second, cutting the Middle Tennessee lead in half.

But the Blue Raiders responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning, starting with a one-out single to center from Matt Ray. Ervin then singled to center before an RBI grounder to left from Warren. With two outs Bishop's drive to rightcenter just cleared the wall for his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot. Campbell then laced a drive to leftcenter for his second round-tripper of the year, giving Middle Tennessee a 7-1 advantage.

ULM scored a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to cut the lead to 7-5.

In the third Andy Jones led off with a solo homer. Dexter Fontenot then doubled down the leftfield line with one out and scored on a two-out single to right from A.J. Siggers.

In the fourth three Blue Raider errors led directly to the two Warhawk runs. Travis Drader reached on a throwing error by catcher Grant Box to leadoff, moved to second on a balk, third on a wild pitch and scored when Ben Soignier's grounder to third was booted by Zach Barrett. Jones followed with a single and Fontenot's two-out single to center plated Soignier.

But Middle Tennessee used the big inning again in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs. Kendrick had a leadoff single and Bishop was hit before Humphrey's two-run double down the leftfield line. Box's single to center plated Humphrey and Box came around to score on three wild pitches for an 11-5 advantage.

The Blue Raiders scored another run in the fifth when Warren doubled to leadoff, Kendrick was hit and Bishop walked, loading the bases with no one out. Humphrey's walk pushed across Kendrick with the only run of the inning, giving Middle Tennessee a 12-5 lead.

Ervin belted his second solo homer of the game with one out in the sixth and after another Warren double, Bishop blasted his second home run of the contest as well, a two-run shot to left, for a 15-5 Middle Tennessee advantage.

The Blue Raiders scored six times in the eighth, starting with a leadoff double from Ervin and a single from Warren. Kendrick then doubled home a run and Bishop's flair to left plated Warren. A pinch-hit single from Michael McSweeney scored Kendrick and after a single from Humphrey, Zach Hudson walked, forcing in a run. Box's grounder plated another run and the relay throw to first was wild, allowing Humphrey to score the game's final run.

Middle Tennessee will send righthander Brett Smalley (1-3, 3.86) to the mound on Sunday in the final contest of the three-game series.

GAME NOTES
Rawley Bishop's home run in the second inning extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest by a Blue Raider since 1999. Bishop passed the 17-game stretch by Todd Martin in 2006 ... After starting in leftfield for the first time in his career on Friday, Matt Campbell drew the start in rightfield on Saturday.

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