The Middle Tennessee Mudcats travelled to Battle Ground Academy (BGA) Tuesday and came away with a hard-earned 4-3 win in game one of a doubleheader, before falling 7-2 in the nightcap.

The two squads were engaged in a pitching duel in the first contest as Mudcats' manager Chris Parker assigned one inning apiece to seven different hurlers, while BGA skipper Brad Meyers used just two.

Logan Hollingsworth started for the Mudcats and Kennedy Mathis, Alex Brewer, and Tanner Garvin followed him as all four pitched shutout ball over the first four innings.

Grant Drury received the starting nod for BGA and went four shutout innings, giving up two hits, while striking out seven and walking three Chapel Hill batters.

Key inning

In the pivotal fifth inning, lefty Sam Folks came to the hill for BGA and tossed a scoreless half frame before the home team broke through with two runs off Mudcats' hurler Ryan Yelensky with the big blows coming on RBI base knocks by Cole Grosvenor and Trevor Auerback.

After Folks fielded a grounder back to the box for the out number one in the top of the sixth, Tanner Garvin walked and was relieved at first base by Jacob Jones.

Austin Harmon reached on a bobble at third base before Folks got the second out on a strikeout.

After a double steal, Austin Harber walked to load the sacks full of Mudcats.

Big hit

Jacob Daughrity came to the dish and delivered a big two-out, two-RBI double to left that turned into three runs for the Mudcats when the left fielder bobbled the ball, allowing Harber's pinch runner (Caleb Keller) to cross home with the go-ahead run, making it 3-2.

Ryan Byrd came to the hill to begin the bottom of the sixth got the first out before beaning Jackson Curb.

Drury followed with a base hit, making first and second and an errant pickoff throw at second moved both runners up one base to second and third.

Byrd induced a shallow fly ball to left for the second out and escaped the jam on a grounder to Garvin at first base, ending the inning.

BGA stopped

The Mudcats were unable to add any insurance runs in the top of the seventh and Daughrity came to the hill in the bottom of the seventh, closing the door on BGA to earn the save, while Byrd picked up the win.

Daughrity (1-3, 2RBIs), Landon Jones (1-3), Blake Leonard (1-3), and Ryan Yelensky (1-2) all had one hit apiece for the Mudcats, while Harmon, Jacob Jones, and Keller all scored one run each.

MTSU signee Tucker Beathard (2-3) and Noah Mayberry (2-3, RS) both had two base knocks apiece for BGA, while Drury (1-2, HBP), Cole Grosvenor (1-3, RS, RBI, BB), and Auerback all had one base hit apiece.