Blue Raiders Streamroll ULM to Take Series

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Five different players had at least one RBI and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (12-17, 5-6) exploded for eight runs in the 3rd inning as they won the series against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (10-22, 2-7) with a 11-3 victory on run rule at Blue Raider Field on Sunday afternoon.

Middle Tennessee split two games with the Warhawks earlier on Sunday.

Blue Raider starter Kellie Head (4-7) picked up the win, giving up a season-low one earned run on six hits, while striking out one and walking two in the complete game.

Heather Fritz (2-3) got the loss for the visiting Warhawks. The righty gave up four earned runs on six hits, while striking out two and walking three in 2.2 innings.

Jessica Wideman and Lindsay Rittenhouse also pitched for Louisiana-Monroe, giving up a combined four runs on six hits, while striking out one and walking one in 1.1 innings of relief action.

The Blue Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. Ashley Cline walked and stole second before Martha Davis stroked a two-out RBI single to right field to put the home team out front.

Davis was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored for the Blue Raiders.

The Warhawks responded in the top of the 3rd inning when Michell Farrell-Fink hit a two RBI single to right field, putting the visitors up 2-1.

Middle Tennessee came into the game having only scored five runs in the entire series. They almost doubled that total during a 3rd inning in which MT powered eight runs by the Warhawks to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

Davis began things with a lead off single to left field and advanced to second base following Whitney Darlington's one-out sacrifice bunt to the right side. Whittney Padgett smacked an RBI double to right center field before Brittney Banania walked to put two more runners on base.

Cline hit a hard, two RBI single through the left side before Katie Mielke reached on an errant throw by the pitcher. Cline scored on the play to make it 4-2 and Corrie Abel continued to pile on the runs with a RBI single through the right side, scoring Mielke.

Davis walked and Justine Cerda reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, scoring Abel, before Darlington's second RBI single of the inning rounded out the scoring for the Blue Raiders.

Cline was 2-for-3 with three RBI , three runs scored and a stolen base for MT.

Louisiana-Monroe pulled one run back in the 4th inning on a bases-loaded walk by Kellie Head before Middle Tennessee scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Cline and Abel to make it 11-3.

No more runs were needed as the Blue Raiders firmly entrenched themselves in the race for the Sun Belt Conference crown with a series victory of Louisiana-Monroe.

Middle Tennessee returns to action when they face mid-state rival Tennessee State in a doubleheader at Blue Raider Field on Thursday at 1 PM. Follow the action live on GoBlueRaiders.com with Russell Luna providing play-by-play.

Friend of the Blue Raiders? Like us on Facebook and become part of the True Blue army today.