Copeland's Seven Innings Leads 4-1 Triumph

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Tyler Copeland allowed one run in seven innings, and Todd Martin had three hits in Middle Tennessee's 4-1 victory over New Mexico State Saturday afternoon at Reese Smith Field.

Copeland (5-4) picked up his first win in five starts (4/17 at Western Kentucky) in the second longest start of his career. The lefthander worked 7.0 innings, allowing one run on seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Martin led an 11-hit attack for the Blue Raiders (28-22, 12-10 Sun Belt), who scored single runs in the first, third, sixth and seventh innings for their second straight victory. Middle Tennessee won the series with Saturday's win, its fourth SBC series victory of the year and third in the last four weeks.

Eric McNamee added a pair of hits and scored twice, while Nate Jaggers and Jeff Beachum both had a pair of hits in the win.

NMSU starter Jason Conner allowed four runs on 10 hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one. Kyle McFadden struck out the side in the eighth for the Aggies (28-26, 13-10).

The Raiders got on the board in the first inning for the fifth straight game after McNamee and Martin both singled to start the frame. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and McNamee scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael McKenry.

NMSU tied the game in the second after leadoff walks to Adam Harvey and Luke Hopkins. Derek Maytubby singled off the end of the bat to centerfield, loading the bases. Brandon Lance bounced into a 6-4-3 doubleplay, but Harvey scored on the play to knot the game at one.

McNamee and Martin both singled with one out in the third, and Jaggers' single down the leftfield line plated McNamee for a 2-1 lead.

Copeland allowed a single and a walk in the NMSU fourth, but got a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

The Blue Raiders had a chance to add to the lead in the fifth when McNamee drew a leadoff walk and Jaggers dumped a single into right on a hit-and-run, putting runners on the corners. But McKenry popped out and Nathan Hines bounced out to end the threat.

The Aggies again put two runners on in the sixth with singles from Mark Aranda and Luke Hopkins, but Derek Maytubby fly ball was the second out. A walk to Brandon Lance loaded the bases, and Copeland threw three straight balls to Robby Schildgen. But the Blue Raider sophomore got strike one and then snared a sharp grounder back through the middle for the final out of the inning.

Middle Tennessee pushed a run across in the sixth, with Beachum leading off with a double. Adam Darby's grounder to second moved the runner to third, and Adam Warren's grounder to short scored Beachum for a 3-1 lead.

Martin added to the lead in the seventh with a high drive to rightcenter that just cleared the wall for his fifth homer of the season, giving the Blue Raiders a 4-1 edge.

Middle Tennessee concludes the home schedule Sunday against the Aggies at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
Eric McNamee extended his career-long hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first ... The Blue Raiders scored in the first inning for the fifth straight game ... Jeff Beachum extended his hitting streak to seven games with a double in the second ... Nate Jaggers extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the third ... Todd Martin's sixth homer of the season, a solo shot in the seventh, was the first for the lefthanded hitter since May 1 at Arkansas State ... Tyler Copeland's seven innings of work was the second longest outing of his career ... Adam Warren extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in the eighth.

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