Murray State
Bradley
'Breds Come From Behind To Win 9-8 Over Bradley
2/24/2008 6:00:00 AM | Baseball
Trailing 7-1 in the middle of the fourth inning, Murray State forged a comeback, scoring three runs in the fourth inning, four in the seventh and the game-winner in the ninth to outlast visiting Bradley 9-8.
Murray State (1-2) tied the game in the third inning when Zach Noonan hit a lead-off home run in his first collegiate at-bat, tying the game at 1-1.
In the top of the fourth, Bradley (2-1) plated six runs on six hits to push ahead 7-1, but the 'Breds responded in the bottom of the inning. Cory Hodskins led off the inning with a triple, then Wes Cunningham drove him in with a single. Taylor Thieke then doubled Cunningham to third, then Daniel Miller drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Noonan hit a sacrifice fly to score Cunningham, then Blake Helm doubled in Thieke, closing the gap to 7-4.
In the seventh inning, Murray State struck again. Brooks Thornton drew a one-out walk, then Tyler Owen drew a walk. Hodskins reached on a fielding error, loading the bases, then Cunningham walked in Thornton. Thieke hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Owen and moving Hodskins to third, and Kyle Tiernan doubled in Cunningham and Hodskins, putting the 'Breds ahead 8-7.
Bradley was able to tie the game in the top of the ninth, but Murray State still wasn't done. Hodskins led off with a single, then Cunningham singled him to second. Tiernan stepped in and laced a double down the left-field line, driving in Hodskins for the winning run.
"This was a kind of a double-comeback," said MSU head coach Rob McDonald. "I was really proud of my team for battling back the way they did. It was a great team effort; several players contributed, pitchers and hitters alike. We looked more confident swinging the bat, and for the most part, we played good defense. This was a good win for us against a good team."
Hodskins had thre hits for the 'Breds, with a triple and three runs scored. Tiernan had two hits, with two doubles and three runs batted in, while Cunningham also had two hits, with two runs and two RBIs. Noonan had MSU's first home run of the season and two RBIs, while Helm and Thieke each had a double. On defense, first baseman Thieke had a game-high 11 putouts, while second baseman Hodskins had five assists.
For Bradley, Jim Clayton had three hits, with two doubles, a run and an RBI. Grant Escue had two hits, with a triple, a run and two RBIs, while Dan Brewer had two hits and two runs. Colby Luttrell and Tommy Fitzgerald each had two hits for the Braves. On defense, first baseman Escue had nine putouts, while shortstop Fitzgerald had five assists.
On the mound, freshman Tyler Hall (1-0) got the win in relief, allowing no hits, striking out one and walking none, facing the minimum two batters in two-thirds of an inning. Chris Craycraft started for the 'Breds, allowing seven runs on 10 hits, striking out two and walking none in 3-2/3 innings. Matt McGaha came on in the fourth and held Bradley, allowing no runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one in 3-1/3 innings, while Drew Leeper allowed one run on two hits, striking out one and walking none in 1-1/3 innings.
For Bradley, Eitan Barbalat (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on three hits, striking out one and walking none in 1-2/3 innings. Lendsey Thompson started for the Braves, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out none and walking one in three-plus innings. Chris Wright came on in the fourth inning, allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits, striking out five and walking four in 3-1/3 innings. Spencer Hahn entered in the seventh, allowing one run on one hit, striking out none and walking one in one-third of an inning.
Murray State faces a five-game road swing, beginning on Wednesday at Memphis. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
