Breds Complete Doubleheader Sweep of Cougars

Friday, March 19

Murray, Ky.

4 p.m.

Murray State

Mid-Continent

3/19/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Kyle Tiernan came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs as Murray State completed a doubleheader sweep of Mid-Continent with a 15-4 victory Friday afternoon at Reagan Field.

The Breds (10-8) got on the board in the first as Zach Noonan started the inning with a single to center and went to second when the ball was misplayed. With two outs, Jason Laws doubled off the base of the fence in right field to score Noonan.

The Cougars (5-11) tied the game in the second as Adam Connor doubled down the right-field line and scored on Brantley Barrett's single to right center.

MSU regained the lead in the second as Cory Hodskins started the inning with a single through the left side. With two outs, Brandon Elliott beat out a chopper down the third-base line that was thrown into right field by the pitcher and allowed Hodskins to score. Noonan followed with a run-scoring double to straight-away center field.

MCU added a run in the third as William Ruthven hit the first pitch of the inning into the left-field corner for a double. After moving to third on a groundout, he scored when a grounder to the right side was misplayed.

The Breds padded the lead in the third as Wes Cunningham doubled to left center and Laws singled into the hole at short. After a successful sacrifice bunt from Colton Moore, Cory Hodskins drove in two runs with a doubled just inside the bag at third.

MSU continued to score in every inning in the fourth as Tiernan hit a pinch-hit double off the fence in left center, just ahead of Cunningham's two-run homer to center on a 3-0 pitch, his third home run of the doubleheader and ninth of the season.

The Cougars pulled to within four runs in the fifth as Ruthven doubled and later scored on a balk. Lance Davis plated a second run of the inning with a run-scoring single through the left side.

The Breds put the game away in the fifth by pushing across five more runs, all with two outs. Pixley started the rally with a single to right field and stole second. Elliott put runners on the corners with an infield single, before the two executed the double steal to score a run. Noonan walked ahead of Tiernan's second double in as many at bats, this time a run-scoring shot down the left-field line. After an unintentional, intentional walk to Cunningham loaded the bases, Laws quickly cleared the bases with a three-run double into the gap in left center.

With one out, Pixley and Elliott collected back-to-back singles before Tiernan hit a two-run double down the left-field line, his third of the game.

Alex Love (2-0) picked up the victory after allowing four runs on seven hits and six strikeouts over five innings. Caleb Lutrell (1-2) took the loss after allowing 13 runs, 11 earned, on 15 hits over five innings.

Laws finished the game going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs. Tiernan was 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs. Pixley and Elliott each went 3-for-4.

The two teams close out the three-game series Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m.