MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The Golden Grizzlies baseball team (3-14, 0-0 HL) fell in three games this weekend against Middle Tennessee (9-5, 0-0 CUSA) at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
GAME ONE - Friday, March 7: OAKLAND 4, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 8
The Golden Grizzlies struck first, as
Brandon Nigh opened up the hits with a double towards the gap, as
Matthew McGann brought him home off a single. The Blue Raiders, however, answered with a two-run shot in its first at-bats.
Hunter Pidek worked through a one, two three inning in the bottom of the second and faced just three batters in the third after a double play ended the inning.
Carter Hain got in on the scoring after he blasted a two-out home run to even the game at two after four. Pidek had another perfect inning, striking out a pair along with a fly out, as McGann tallied another RBI in the fifth to take the lead once again. The fifth was another stellar inning from Pidek, throwing just seven pitches while three-straight batters were retired.
Middle Tennessee had an answer in the sixth though as it plated four runs to take a 6-3 lead. It added one more in the seventh and eighth to put Oakland's deficit to five. Nigh looked to spark a late comeback as a two-out double sent
John Lauinger home, but the comeback fell short as Oakland lost, 8-4.
GAME TWO - Saturday, March 8: OAKLAND 5, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6 (11 Inn.)
McGann's hot hand carried over to day two as a single drove home a pair of runners to open up the game. Lauinger and
Aidan Schuck both found the base pads as McGann batted them home.
Ben Clark followed things up with a single to cap off the three-run first. Middle Tennessee responded in the bottom of the second though as it plated five runs to take the lead.
The game progressed and remained at a stalemate, 5-3, as Oakland had one final chance to tie things up in the ninth.
Boston Halloran singled to start off the inning, but quickly found itself behind with one more out to work with. Lauinger battled through a full count and drew a walk, as he and Halloran were pushed up a base off a steal. Schuck delivered, with both runners in scoring position as a single through the middle tied the game to send it into extras.
Oakland worked out of the 10th after Middle Tennessee had a runner 90 feet from home but ultimately fell in the 11th off a single, 6-5.
GAME THREE - Sunday, March 9: OAKLAND 0, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 5
Both teams left a runner stranded in the first to set up the theme of the remainder of the game, strong pitching and hard defense. The Oakland defense came up big in the following inning, leaving a pair of runners stranded to keep things even at zero.
Trent Rice worked through a full count and was walked as he put himself in scoring position off a steal but was ultimately left stranded, as Middle Tennessee matched the following inning with a runner left on.
It wasn't until the fourth where a team crossed the plate, however, the Blue Raiders were the first to do so. It scored a trio of runs off three different hits to put Oakland down near the midway point of the game. Play remained even for the next two innings before Middle Tennessee got back on the board, adding two more in the seventh. Middle Tennessee closed things out as it allowed no hits in the entirety of the game, as Oakland fell, 5-0.
The Golden Grizzlies return to the diamond for its final non-conference game before its starts Horizon League play, as it treks to Louisville, Ky., Wednesday (March 12) to face Louisville.
