March 22, 2001

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Josh Renick and Marshal Nisbett went a combined 6-for-8 from the plate and drove in a total of six runs as Middle Tennessee State defeated Samford 8-2 in nonconference baseball action on Wednesday evening.

The game was the second of the day for Samford (6-15, 1-2 TAAC), who defeated Vanderbilt 9-2 in a contest rescheduled from Tuesday due to rain. The Blue Raiders outhit the Bulldogs 11-3 but left 11 men on base while Samford stranded only four. Starter Dennis Thomas (0-1) went six innings and took the loss for Samford, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out four. Matthew Griffith pitched six and a third for the Blue Raiders, allowing only one run on two hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Middle Tennessee State (17-2) took an early 2-0 lead as Renick tripled to center, then scored on a fielder's choice put out of Nisbett. The next batter, Justin Sims, tripled to right field, then scored a single by clean-up hitter Brandon Johnson to give MTSU a 2-0 lead in the first.

Samford cut the lead to 2-1 as Robert Evans led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, his fourth long ball of the season. MTSU tallied two hits in the sixth and scored twice with help from a Samford error and a hit batter to take a 4-1 advantage, then Shane Weeks got in trouble in the seventh after replacing Thomas. Two walks and a single by Johnson loaded the bases for a sacrifice fly by Chuck Akers, and the Blue Raiders led 5-1 with only one out. After Weeks battled to strike out Kyle Thomas for the second out, MTSU got to him again for a walk, single and a double to tally four runs on three hits and upped the score to 8-1.

Samford got one back in the ninth, as Danny Nelson walked, advanced to second on a ground out by Eric Hollis, then scored on a double by Major Allred. Allred went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Bulldogs. Brandon Johnson also went 2-for-3, scored a run and posted a RBI for the Blue Raiders.

Samford travels to Deland, Fla., to face Stetson in a three-game Trans America Athletic Conference series on Friday and Saturday.