Ninth inning rally falls short as Blue Raiders fall 3-2

R-Freshman Paul Mittura threw a wild pitch which reached the backstop allowing Sean Bignall to score from third and hand the Trojans the win. Mittura took the loss on the mound falling to 1-3 on the season.

Trailing 2-0 most of the game, Middle Tennessee (8-22, 2-9) tied it at two when freshman Hank LaRue hit a one-out single to left centerfield allowing sophomore Jordan Rorex and senior Will Skinner to score from second and third in the top of the ninth. The Blue Raiders were unable to score any more runs in the inning which ended on a double play.

"We've made this bed and now we're lying in it. When you are a last place team you do things like this. We had two terrible base running mistakes and in baseball you are allowed to strikeout, not swing the bat well because you have so many at bats but you are not allowed to make errors, have passed balls, wild pitches those are supposed to be things that you just take for granted," head coach Steve Peterson said.

As a team, Middle Tennessee had five hits with Skinner and sophomore Johnny Thomas each recording a double.

Sophomore Hunter Adkins performed well on the mound for Middle Tennessee allowing two runs on seven hits in seven innings of work leaving the game with a no decision. R-sophomore Joey McClung, senior Jud Stoltz and Mittura worked the game in relief allowing no hits.

"I was very proud of Hunter. The wind was blowing out. It was a game that if he isn't mentally tough, that's something we have pushed in him, he is a guy who gives up home runs but he battled through the two runs he gave up early, Peterson said.

UALR's (15-15, 6-5) Myles Parma and Justin Barnes each had two hits in the game as the Trojans ended play with seven total.

In the first, UALR scored a run after a sac fly by Rountree allowed Garcia to come in from third, 1-0.

UALR scored its second run after a shot to right field by Barnes making it 2-0 in the second.

Middle Tennessee and UALR will play the final game of the weekend series on Sunday, April 10 at 1 p.m. at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock, Ark.

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