Blue Raider Softball Swept at Frost Classic

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee softball (5-13-1) dropped a pair of games Saturday in second-day action of the Frost Classic hosted by Chattanooga. The Blue Raiders fell to North Florida 7-5 and Bradley University 4-3.

Middle Tennessee found itself in a hole early against North Florida when the club scored three runs at the top of the first inning. Blue Raider freshman pitcher Laura Moore had a rocky first inning giving up three runs on three hits and walking two. In the second inning Moore was replaced by sophomore hurler Ashley Katinas who tossed two scoreless innings to allow the Blue Raiders to come back and tie the game in the bottom of the third.

Freshman Martha Davis led off the inning for the Blue Raiders by reaching on a UNF error. After a single by Shelby Stiner, Michelle Wilkes got on base on the second North Florida error of the inning to load the bases. After two strikeouts by Blue Raider players, Muriel Ledbetter hit a ball to right field and thanks to the third UNF error of the inning, Davis, Stiner and Wilkes scored to tie the game.

North Florida came back in the top of the fifth inning to re-take the lead when they scored three runs and added an insurance run in the sixth. Ledbetter hit her fourth homerun of the season to lead off the bottom half of the sixth inning and the Blue Raiders scored one run in the seventh to round out the scoring for Middle Tennessee.

Stiner led the Blue Raiders going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Katinas took the loss giving up four runs on six hits and striking out three and falls to 0-2 on the season.

In second game action, Middle Tennessee again found itself down early, giving up two runs to Bradley University in the bottom of the first.

The Blue Raiders came back in second to pull within one run when Moore hit an RBI single to plate Katie Mielke. Bradley would come back in its half of the second to add two decisive runs which would be the eventual game-clincher.

Middle Tennessee attempted a rally in the top of the seventh. With bases loaded and no outs, Samantha Floyd hit into a double play which erased Stiner at third. Ledbetter knocked an RBI double to score Justine Cerda and Brandi Boehner to pull the Blue Raiders within one run, but Jennifer Dorais lined to the third baseman to end the Middle Tennessee threat.

Moore took the loss on the mound going six innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out four. Moore falls to 4-7 on the season. Mieilke was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

The Blue Raiders return to action on Sunday for the final day of the Frost Classic. Middle Tennessee faces UT Martin at 10 a.m. and Indiana at 2:30 p.m.

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