By: Elisha Nelson
MTN Sports Reporter
The Blue Raiders men’s baseball team routed Western Carolina (4-5) to notch a win back at home with a 10-5 victory over the Catamounts.
Outfield Nathan Sanders was the star on the night for Middle Tennessee (4-6), having a career performance with a personal best of 4 hits on 5 at bats.
After four innings of little action, things got going for the Blue Raiders in the fifth inning. A Brett Coker run and a Wyatt Morgan walk combined for the first scores to go ahead Western Carolina to make it a 3-2 advantage for Middle Tennessee heading into the sixth inning.
Following the go-ahead score by Coker, Western Carolina had a response of its own with three runs, courtesy of an error and a wild pitch. Offensively the Blue Raiders slogged through the next three innings, with the score remaining 3-5.
That wasn’t all the Blue Raiders had to offer, as their strongest innings came in the final two. Peyton Whittington’s relief pitching proved to be a deciding factor in the contest, as he didn’t let up an inch to the Catamounts’ attempt to respond to Middle Tennessee’s Nathan Sanders and Brett Coker, who had efficient performances at bat to lift them over Western Carolina for a 10-5 victory at home.
Middle Tennessee’s newfound success with clutch pitching to close out games, with no runs allowed in the final four innings, could prove to be a key factor in their weekend matchup on the road against South Alabama. The Blue Raiders first series of the season is set to begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Mobile, Alabama.