Eight-run seventh inning powers Blue Raiders past Monarchs

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — There is a certain magic during a Reese Smith Jr. Field seventh inning stretch on a Sunday afternoon. The sunny skies, the light breeze waving the American flag beyond the Howard and Sally Wall in center field, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless America '' playing over the loudspeakers.

On this particular Sunday, it was what came after the stretch that was magic, as the Blue Raiders touched up three Old Dominion pitchers for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to power MT to a 13-5 victory in the series finale against the Monarchs.

"I was getting ready for the really bad speech after the first three innings where we did not hit at all. It was not going to be pretty," head…