Murray State
Memphis
'Breds Win At No. 39 Memphis 7-6
4/11/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
Especially when compared to Tuesday's offensive juggernaut between these teams, Murray State's game at Memphis on Wednesday was a defensive gem, as the Thoroughbreds completed the two-day, two-game sweep of No. 39 Memphis with a 7-6 win.
The 'Breds got on the scoreboard right away, as senior left fielder Austin Swain led off with a walk and senior second baseman Seth Hudson singled him to third. Senior first baseman James Akin doubled down the left field line, scoring Swain and Hudson and giving MSU an early 2-0 lead.
Host Memphis plated two runs in the bottom of the first, but Murray State responded in the second inning, taking advantage of a Tiger miscue. Junior designated hitter Andrew Cella led off with a single, then sophomore shortstop Justin Yount reached when an attempted sacrifice bunt was overthrown to first base, enabling Cella to go to third base and Yount to reach second. Cella scored on a groundout, moving Yount to third, then Yount scored on another groundout to put MSU ahead 4-2.
Akin then hit his second double of the night, then scored on a single by senior catcher Jason Payton. Payton scored all the way from first on a double by center fielder Tyler Pittman, and MSU took a 6-2 lead.
Middle relief pitching did the job from that point for both teams, as freshman left-hander Jake Donze held Memphis hitless over four and Memphis reliever Will Hudgens held the 'Breds hitless over five innings with eight strikeouts and retiring 17 straight MSU batters.
Murray State tacked on an insurance run in the ninth inning when Swain led off with a bunt single, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Pittman.
Memphis made a game of it in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs but leaving the game-tying run on third.
Murray State was led by Akin, who went 2-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and two runs batted in, and Pittman, who went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Swain scored twice for the 'Breds. Defensively, Akin had 10 putouts, while Yount had a game-high five assists.
For Memphis, K.K. Chalmers went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs, while Chris Kirkland went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Michael Murray had two RBIs for the Tigers, while Kyle Norrid had a double. Defensively, catcher Chris Kirkland had 14 putouts, while shortstop Murray had four assists.
On the mound, Donze (3-3) got the win, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out five and walking five in the last five innings. Freshman lefty Matt McGaha got the start, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out three and walking three in the first four innings.
For Memphis, Chris Novikoff (0-1) took the loss as a starter, allowing six runs (two earned) on seven hits, striking out two and walking three in two innings. Hudgens came on in the third and threw a brilliant game, allowing no runs on no hits, striking out eight and walking none in five innings. Neil Schenk entered in the eighth inning, allowing no runs on no hits, striking out two of the three batters he faced, and Dusty Davis pitched the ninth inning, allowing one run on two hits, striking out two and walking one.
Murray State returns home to face Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky for a three-game series, with a Saturday double-header at 1 p.m. followed by a Sunday 1 p.m. game. All three games can be heard locally on WOFC (1130 AM, Murray) and worldwide through the audio link at www.GoRacers.com. Live Stats will also be available through the Web site.
