'Breds Get Season-High 18 Hits In 7-4 Extra-Inning Loss

Tuesday, March 28

Murray, Ky.

2:00 p.m.

Murray State

Evansville

'Breds Get Season-High 18 Hits In 7-4 Extra-Inning Loss

3/28/2006 6:00:00 AM | Baseball

The Murray State Thoroughbreds clocked a season-high 18 hits ? eight of them in the ninth through 12th innings ? but were unable to push past visiting Evansville, as the 'Breds fell 7-4 in 12 innings.

The loss was the seventh straight for Murray State (7-17), and was the last scheduled non-conference home game of the season. MSU has six home dates (nine games) remaining this season.

The top three hitters in the 'Breds' lineup ? Chaz Ebert, Seth Hudson and Tyler Pittman ? combined for a 10-for-17 afternoon, and the 8-9-1-2-3 hitters picked up 15 of Murray State's 18 hits.

Evansville (16-11) scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but Murray State answered right back in the bottom of the inning, as Hudson popped a one-out single up the middle and Pittman doubled him to third. Hudson scored on a single by Brett Wilson, and the game was tied 1-1.

The Purple Aces scored a run in the third inning and two in the fourth to push out to a 4-1 lead, but the 'Breds got one back in the sixth. Pittman led off the inning with his second double of the day, then went to third on a flyout. He scored on a groundout to cut the Evansville lead to 4-2.

That was the score in the bottom of the ninth inning when Austin Swain led off with a walk, then Jamie Leidolf walked. Justin Yount legged out a bunt single to load the bases, but Brett Mullins hit into a double play, with Swain out at the plate and Mullins out at first. Ebert then slapped a single to right to score Leidolf and Yount to knot the game at 4-4.

Evansville put together three hits and two walks in the 12th inning to score three runs, and may have gotten more if not for a heads-up defensive play by MSU. With Jeff Fontaine at first and Jeremy Kuester at second, the Purple Aces attempted a double-steal. Fontaine was hung up between first and second, while Kuester took the turn at third base and tried to score. Hudson's throw home caught Kuester for the second out of the inning. MSU hurler Matt Scalfani was able to coax a strikeout to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 12th, Hudson popped a one-out single up the middle and Pittman singled him to second. Tyler Owen got a sharp single back through the box to load the bases with two outs, but were unable to push any runs home.

"I'm proud of the way our guys competed," said MSU head coach Rob McDonald. "We had some really competitive at-bats today. We made tremendous improvements in our adjustments since last weekend. Both teams had opportunities to win today. We had the opportunity to win and didn't, but not from a lack of effort."

Hudson and Pittman had a game-high four hits apiece, with Pittman lifting two doubles. Yount had three hits, while Ebert and Mullins had two each. Mullins drove in a co-game-high two runs in the game for MSU.

For Evansville, four batters had two hits apiece, with Ryan Barrett hitting his first home run of the season, a solo shot to lead off the third inning, and Kasey Wahl hit a triple. Kuester had two RBIs in the game.

In the field, first baseman Michal Perconte had eight putouts, while shortstop Yount had a game-high seven assists. For the Purple Aces, first baseman Wahl had 15 putouts, while shortstop Robbie Minor had six assists.

Jon Newton (2-3) took the loss in relief for Murray State, allowing three runs on four hits, striking out five and walking three in 4-2/3 innings, pitching in the seventh through 12th innings. Evansville native Daniel Calhoun got the start, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, striking out one in four innings. Marc Harmon came on in the fifth, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out one and walking two in 2-2/3 innings. Scalfani closed out the 12th for Newton, allowing one hit and striking out one in two-thirds of an inning.

For Evansville, Mark Murray (1-2) got the win in relief, one of seven Purple Aces pitchers. Murray allowed one run on five hits, striking out two in three innings of work.

Murray State returns to Ohio Valley Conference action with a Saturday double-header at Southeast Missouri State. The twinbill begins at 3 p.m. While the double-header will not be heard in its entirety on WRKY (1130 AM), it can be heard from start to finish through Murray State's athletics Web site, www.GoRacers.com.