Win Over Alabama Highlights First Half of Softball Fall Season

Saturday, October 1

Bowling Green, Ky.

11 a.m.

Murray State

Alabama

Photo by: Rhonda Wilson

Win Over Alabama Highlights First Half of Softball Fall Season

10/5/2011 2:21:00 PM | Softball

Alabama Box Score | Western Kentucky Box Score

Murray State softball picked up a pair of wins this past weekend in its second day of fall competition, knocking off powerhouse Alabama before shutting out host Western Kentucky last Saturday in Bowling Green, Ky.

The Racers jumped ahead early on the Crimson Tide, a 2011 Women's College World Series Participant and the 3^rd-ranked team in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll of the season. Leslie Bridges doubled with two outs in the top of the first and runners on first and second, scoring Megan Glosser and Casey Castile to take a quick 2-0 lead.

Alabama came back over the next two innings, scoring a single run in each of the second and third innings to tie the contest at 2-2.

Murray State broke the game open in the top of the fourth, scoring five in the inning to take a commanding 7-2 lead. Meghan Sims grounded out to second for the first out of the inning, bringing in Ellyn Troup from third. Stephanie Edwards reached in the next at-bat on an error to right field that scored Bridges. Alexa Becker moved her over to second with a single, and both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Christian Cox doubled to drive them both in, and she scored with two outs on a double from Glosser.

The Racers added an eighth and final run in the top of the fifth as Bridges doubled to score Troup from first.

Shelby Kosmecki picked up the win for Murray State, tossing the first four innings and allowing a pair of runs on three hits and three walks. Chelsey Sullivan entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth, giving up no runs on three hits and a walk. She struck out one.

Bridges paced the offense with three hits in the game, driving in three and scoring once. Glosser drove in one and scored once on a pair of hits, and Troup added a pair of runs.

Murray State came back in the second game of the day and dominated Western Kentucky, shutting out the Hilltoppers in a 7-0 victory.

Castile accounted for the first three runs of the game for MSU, clearing the bases in the bottom of the second inning with two outs to jump to a 3-0 lead.

Four more runs scored in the bottom of the fourth, the first two scoring on a Cox double with one out in the inning. She crossed home plate on a Castile double, and Glosser singled to score Castile to put the Racers ahead 7-0.

CheyAnne Gaskey and Bridges combined for the shutout, with Gaskey getting the four inning win. She gave up a pair of hits and two walks while striking out three. Bridges allowed just two walks in her three innings of action.

Castile led MSU with four RBI out of the lead-off spot in the batting order, and was one of three Racers along with Glosser and Bridges to record two hits.

Murray State opened its fall schedule two weeks ago, dropping a pair of 2-0 and 6-2 losses at Louisville.

The Racers return home for their final four games of the fall slate, hosting Shawnee Community College this weekend and Mid Continent Oct. 22. Saturday afternoon's doubleheader against Shawnee is scheduled for 2 p.m.