Blue Raiders Fall 7-3 to Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (15-21, 7-7) had a 3-0 lead going into the 5th inning but could not hold on as they fell 7-3 to the Chattanooga Lady Mocs (29-14, 7-0) in the first game of a doubleheader at Jim Frost Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The Blue Raiders split two games with the Southeast Missouri Redhawks in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Wednesday.

Lindsey Vander Lugt (10-12) got the start and loss for the Blue Raiders. The Olympia, Wash. native gave up three earned runs on 11 hits, while striking out three in the compete game, 6.0 inning effort.

Kaitlin Holloway (5-1) picked up the win for Chattanooga. The righty gave up one run on three hits, while striking out one in 2.0 innings of relief ball.

Brooke Loudermilk got the start and save for the Lady Mocs. The sophomore gave up two runs on two hits, while striking out five and walking two, in two separate stretches over 5.0 innings.

Both teams had trouble putting runners in scoring position and combined for just two hits as the game went into the top of the 4th inning scoreless.

The Blue Raiders knocked two runs across in that inning to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage. Katie Mielke led off the inning with a double to right field. Corrie Abel followed it up with a single, advancing Mielke to third base.

Two batters later, Whitney Darlington smacked a hard single to right field, scoring Mielke. Abel crossed the plate during the next at-bat on a passed ball by Lady Mocs catcher Katie Blevin.

Mielke was 2-for-4 with two doubles, a RBI and a run scored for the Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee took a 3-0 advantage in the next inning. Brittany Banania singled up the middle to start things off before Caitlin McLure moved the freshman shortstop to second base with a sacrifice bunt.

Mielke nailed her second double of the game to right field, scoring Banania. The lead, however, would not last long.

The Lady Mocs capitalized off a throwing error with one by pitcher Lindsey Vander Lugt to go ahead in the 5th inning . Stiles slapped one to the pitcher and would have beat out the throw, but advanced to second base as it sailed well wide of first baseman Whitney Darlington, scoring Baker.

Before it concluded, the home team would score two more runs in the inning and add two more in the next inning to make it 7-3.

The Blue Raiders could not pull any runs back as they dropped to 6-4 in their last ten games.

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