Abel becomes first player to reach 200 hits in a career

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Corrie Abel became the first batter in Blue Raider in history to record 200 hits in an Middle Tennessee career in a 3-2 loss to Hofstra on Friday at the 2011 FAU Invitational. MT dropped the second game of the day 12-2 to Michigan State. Middle Tennessee falls to 5-11 on the season.

After the Pride took one-run lead on a solo-shot home run in the bottom of the second, the Middle Tennessee bats came to life. Corrie Abel sparked the side, singling to right. Natalie Ysais then doubled, before Kayla Toney tallied her fourth RBI of the season on a sac fly to center field, bring Abel home from third. The score was tied after three.

Michigan State added two more runs in the fourth to make the score 3-1.

Nina Davenport continued to be the run-scoring catalyst for the Blue Raiders. In the fifth, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native legged out an infield-single, before moving around to third on a wild-pitch and stolen base. Banania drove her in the on following play, pushing the score to 3-2. Davenport leads the team with 11 runs scored.

Abel singled on the following play to get her 200th career hit.

Despite getting two base-runners on the sixth, Middle Tennessee could not bring home the tying run. The final score would be 3-2.

Jordyn Fisherback threw well, going the distance in her third lose of the season. In the six inning of work, the Greenville, Ohio native allowed just two earned runs, no walks, while ranking up three strikeouts.

In the second game, Michigan State exploded onto the scoreboard, putting four up in the first inning and three in the second. The score was 7-0 after two.

Kelsey Dortch made a spectacular catch in the first, pulling-back a potential home run to and stop the bleeding.

The Blue Raiders broke the shut-out in the fourth when Kaycee Popham doubled to right-center field to bring home Dortch and Ysais.

The Spartans roared back in the fourth, taking four more off the Raiders. The game would end 12-2 after five.

Middle Tennessee will continue play at the 2011 FAU Invitational on Saturday as they take on Rutgers at 9:00 a.m., and Purdue at 3:00 p.m. Stay tuned to GoBlueRaiders.com and Twitter.com/MT_Softball for all updates.

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.