Blue Raiders fall to Austin Peay 11-5

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Pitching and defense spelled doom for the Blue Raiders for the second straight game as they fell to Austin Peay 11-5 on Tuesday night.

Middle Tennessee (15-9) had five errors as a team and the pitching staff walked seven batters. It was the third time in four games that the Blue Raider defense had three or more errors after going six straight games with two errors or less.

"We have been making a collection of errors the last few ballgames and really breaking down in the infield, all over the field really but we were better in the outfield today," head coach Steve Peterson said. "Their speed took advantage of some balls in the gap, they are a very aggressive base running team and we knew that going in. Any ball they hit in gap they were going to stretch and take chance."

Sophomore Justin Guidry and senior Blake McDade each had three hits with Guidry driving in two runs while McDade recorded two doubles.

Middle Tennessee posted double figure hits for the fourth time in five games with 12 total as seven different players had hits in the game.

The Blue Raiders used four pitchers in the game with senior Kevin Whittaker taking the loss after allowing five runs, two earned, on four hits in 3.1 innings of work. Junior Eric Gilley had one of the best outings allowing one run on two hits in two innings of work.

"In the big inning we didn't make plays and it prolonged the inning. We are walking too many people and that has become kind of an identity with our pitching staff right now," Peterson said. "We are pitching behind in the count, which it is difficult to play that way, and not playing good baseball at all. No pitcher was pitching around anyone we are just having a lot of trouble throwing strikes."

Austin Peay (14-10) scored seven runs on three hits in the fourth inning to break open the game and take an 8-3 lead.

It broke a seven-game losing streak against the Blue Raiders for Austin Peay who last defeated Middle Tennessee 8-5 on March 15, 2006.

Austin Peay got on the board first after a single by Hudson with two outs and the bases loaded in the first inning, 1-0.

Guidry and McDade had back-to-back doubles to drive in two runs for the Blue Raiders and put the team up 2-1 in the third.

Skinner led off the fourth inning with a solo shot to straightaway center, his eighth of the season, extending the Middle Tennessee lead to two, 3-1.

Austin Peay cut the Blue Raider lead to one after an error by Burnett with runners at second and third with the runner from third scoring. Then a single to shallow left by Delong tied the game at 3. Then Kole singled to center with the bases loaded driving in two more runs for the Governors. Austin Peay ended the inning scoring seven runs on three hits to take a five run lead, 8-3.

The Blue Raiders cut the lead in the sixth, 9-5, after scoring two runs on four hits.

The Blue Raiders return to Reese Smith Jr. Field on Wednesday, March 31 playing host to Lipscomb at 6 p.m. before traveling to Boca Raton, Fla., for a three-game weekend series with Florida Atlantic.

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