Blue Raiders Take 8-4 Win Over Troy State

TROY, Ala. - Middle Tennessee's Adam Larson worked seven strong innings and the Blue Raiders scored six runs in the fourth inning to defeat Troy State, 8-4, Saturday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field.

Josh Archer, Seth Yarbrough and Jason Howarth each had two RBIs for the Blue Raiders, who evened the weekend series at one game apiece.

The homestanding Trojans got on the board first when Collin Holder lined a full-count pitch over the right field wall with two outs in the second for a solo homer.

The Blue Raiders could muster only a Nate Jaggers single and a walk in the first three innings off Troy State starter Marcus Bell. But a leadoff single by Justin Sims to start the fourth gave the squad its first scoring chance of the contest.

Archer was hit by a pitch and Doug Kunicki followed with a single to right, loading the bases with no one out. Jaggers was then hit by the first pitch from Bell, but home plate umpire Marcus Putnam called Jaggers back to the plate, saying the freshman did not attempt to get out of the way of the pitch.

Jaggers eventually struck out looking, but Chad Cooper picked him up with a solid single through the hole into left, scoring Sims to knot the contest at one. Yarbrough followed with a double off the base of the wall in dead center, plating two runs and chasing Bell from the contest.

Howarth kept the rally going with a two-run single past a drawn-in infield, giving the Blue Raiders a 5-1 advantage. After a Chuck Akers single, Howarth scored on a Marshall Nisbett groundout for a 6-1 Middle Tennessee lead.

The Trojans cut into the lead in the sixth on a two-run double from Wade Miller, but Larson worked out of the jam without any further damage.

The Blue Raiders got the two runs back in the next half-inning when Sims singled to leadoff before Archer blasted his second home run in two games, giving Middle Tennessee an 8-3 lead.

Larson (1-0) allowed three runs on 10 hits and struck out 10 in seven innings of work to get the victory. The senior did not walk a batter in throwing 105 pitches. Freshman Chris Mobley allowed one run in two innings of work in his first action as a Blue Raider.

Sims and Cooper each had two hits for the Blue Raiders, while Archer scored a pair of runs.

Bell (1-3) gave up five earned runs on five hits in 3.1 innings, striking out three with one walk.

The two teams play the rubber game of the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. The Blue Raiders return home for a two-game set against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday and Wednesday, with both contests beginning at 3 p.m.

Friend of the Blue Raiders? Like us on Facebook and become part of the True Blue army today.