Copeland's Strong Effort the Difference in 7-4 Win

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Michael McKenry homered and drove in three runs, Todd Martin added a solo homer and Tyler Copeland worked a season-high 6.1 innings, leading Middle Tennessee to a 7-4 win over Arkansas State Saturday at Reese Smith Field.

McKenry had a two-run homer in the third and Martin followed with a solo shot, the 11th round-tripper for both players. McKenry added an RBI single in the first and Martin drove in a run with a groundout in the first.

Copeland (5-2) worked a season-high 6.1 innings to get the win, allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. Allan Woodward got the final four outs of the contest for his third save of the year, striking out two.

ASU starter Nathan Gates (3-4) took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, in two-plus innings before departing with a rib injury. Reliever Brandon Eller did an admirable job, allowing one earned run in six innings of work, striking out five.

Marcus Taylor added two hits for the Blue Raiders (22-17, 7-7 SBC) and seven different players scored in the team's six straight home victory.

The Blue Raiders scored twice in first on two hits and the aid of an error. Jeff Beachum led off with a single and Nathan Hines reached on an error. McKenry's single to center scored Beachum and Martin's groundout plated Hines for an early 2-0 lead.

Taylor doubled to leadoff the Middle Tennessee second and moved to third on a balk, but Gates worked out of the jam without allowing a run.

Freshman Guy Brown's first career home run in the Arkansas State third cut the lead in half.

But Gates was not as lucky in the third, with Wayne Kendrick reaching on an error before McKenry lifted a high fly ball deep into the football stadium for a two-run homer. Martin followed with a high drive that cleared the wall in centerfield just to the left of the 24-foot wall for a 5-1 lead. Gates left the game after Martin's at-bat with an injury.

A towering drive to centerfield from Josh Yates to leadoff the fourth, his ninth of the season, made it 5-2 Blue Raiders. Yates added his 10th homer of the year, another high drive, with two outs in the sixth, cutting the Middle Tennessee advantage to 5-3. ASU put two runners on after the home run, but Jeremy Lyons popped out to end the threat.

The Blue Raiders scored twice in the bottom of the inning, though, starting with a leadoff double to leftcenter from Dillon Heath. A groundout from Taylor moved the runner to third before Josh Horn's chopper over the first baseman's head scored Heath.

Horn moved to second on the play after an error by Tyler Doke. Hines then grounded to Michael Williams, Jr., at second base. Williams booted the ball and then made a bad throw to first. Horn kept running from second base and scored on the play for a 7-3 lead.

The Indians had a single and a walk in the seventh, but Tommy Sterritt came on to get the final two outs of the inning with the Blue Raiders holding the four-run lead.

ASU cut the lead to three with its fourth solo homer of the game, the eighth round-tripper of the year by Williams, against Shay Horseman.

In the ninth Woodward got the first two batters out before a single from Brett Kinning. But Kevin Kull, Jr, chased a 3-2 pitch in the dirt for the final out.

The two teams conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with Optimist Little Day festivities taking place before the game.

GAME NOTES
Todd Martin extended his hitting streak to seven games with a solo homer in the third inning ... Nathan Hines extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the fourth ... Tyler Copeland worked a season-high 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four.

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