MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee snapped a three-game losing streak behind the pitching of junior Chad Edwards in an 8-0 win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
Edwards (Paducah, Ky.) allowed just six hits, two for extra bases, in nine innings of work to pick-up the first complete game shutout by a Blue Raider since Matt Scott on March 13, 2005.
Edwards improves to 5-0 on the season while Middle Tennessee is now 22-7. Vanderbilt fell to 19-13 on the year while Nick Christiani took the loss on the mound after allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings of work.
"Being a former catcher nothing is greater than a shutout except for a no-hitter. I think Drew did a great job with Chad calling the game. The best way to stop a losing streak is good hitting, pitching and defense and we got all three tonight," head coach Steve Peterson said.
Sophomore Bryce Brentz (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the Blue Raider offense as he ended the night 4 for 4 with two home runs, five RBI and scored three runs.
Middle Tennessee had 13 hits on the night with senior Rawley Bishop (Germantown, Tenn.) and junior Drew Robertson (Nolinsville, Tenn.) each going 2 for 4. Bishop scored two runs and had a double while Robertson drove in two runs.
It is the first shutout by Middle Tennessee since March 28, 2008 when it defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 6-0.
The Blue Raiders first got on the board in the first inning after sophomore Tyler Burnett (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) scored from third on a single by Brentz.
Middle Tennessee did not score any more runs until the fourth inning when Brentz and Bishop scored on a single by Robertson extending the lead to three.
Then in the fifth inning Brentz hit a two run shot to left field and then hit another home run to right field in the seventh. A single by senior Zach Dean (La Vergne, Tenn.) added another run as Bishop scored increasing the Blue Raider lead to seven.
Middle Tennessee will be back in action on Friday, April 10 at 6 p.m. when it plays host to Florida International in a three-game series.
Schedule Notes: Saturday, April 11's game with Florida International will be at 3 p.m. on CSS as the Sun Belt Game of the Week.
The Blue Raiders' game with FIU set for Sunday, April 12 has been moved up one hour to 12 p.m. due to FIU's travel schedule out of the Nashville airport.
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