JONESBORO, Ark. (3-16-2008) ? Third baseman Zach Barrett's solo home run in the top of the tenth inning gave the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (10-4-1, 3-2) a 7-6 victory over Arkansas State (11-7, 4-2) Sunday afternoon in game three of a Sun Belt Conference series at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field.
The game held true to form for recent contests between the two teams. All three games in the 2007 series went into extra innings, and the first two games of the 2008 series were decided by one run each. Arkansas State defeated Middle Tennessee 6-5 in Friday's series opener before the Blue Raiders came back to win the final two games to take the series. The Blue Raiders won Saturday's game 2-1.
Arkansas State jumped on top early in Sunday's finale, scoring five runs in the first inning. The Tribe went on top on the first Blue Raider pitch when centerfielder Derrick Coleman homered for the 1-0 lead. Third baseman Guy Brown, first baseman Drew Benes and catcher Lawson Hipps all drove in runs for the Tribe in the first to push the Indian lead to 5-0 after the Indians' first at-bat.
Middle Tennessee answered in the second, getting a home run from outfielder Bryce Brentz and an RBI on a fielder's choice from Barrett to cut the ASU lead to 5-2. The Blue Raiders added two more in the seventh to make it 5-4, but the Indians got an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double from second baseman Brandon Eller, and needed just three outs to pick up the win with a 6-4 lead heading into the ninth.
An RBI single from Brentz pulled the Blue Raiders within a run at 6-5, and a sacrifice fly from right fielder Blake McDade knotted the score at 6-6. ASU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to set the stage for Barrett's game winner in the tenth.
Langdon Smalley (1-0) picked up the win for the Blue Raiders, working 2.1 innings and giving up no runs on no hits, with three strikeouts. Chris Bullington (0-1) took the loss for the Tribe, giving up one run on Barrett's home run for his only hit surrendered. Joel Boeschen started for ASU and worked 7.1 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Hudgins and Eller led ASU at the plate with two hits each, while Barrett and centerfielder Nathan Hines had three hits each for MTSU.
The Indians return to action March 18 when they travel to Springfield, Ill., for a two-game series with Missouri State. Both Tuesday and Wednesday's games are scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m.
