Murray State
UT Martin
Racers Drop Two In OVC Opener At UT Martin
3/13/2011 12:11:28 AM | Softball
Close series with final game Sunday at 1 p.m.
BOX SCORE - GAME 2
Despite 10 hits and a pair of home runs, 13 strikeouts plagued Murray State at the plate in a 6-5, 10 inning loss before dropping a 3-0 decision in game two as the Racers opened Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday night against UT Martin.
Tied 5-5, both teams loaded the bases in the 10th inning, with the Racers getting Meghan Sims on with a walk and Lauren Buch reaching on a hit-by-pitch, all with no outs, after Ellyn Troup was placed on second base per the international tiebreaker rule. MSU was unable to take advantage as three straight outs sent the Racers to the bottom half of the inning with the score remaining the same.
UT Martin also loaded the bases on a pair of walks. The Racers got the first out of the inning on a force out at home on a grounder to third base, but Jenny Bain ended the game in the next at-bat on a grounder through the circle into the outfield.
Murray State (3-10, 0-2 OVC) starter Shelby Kosmecki worked out of trouble in the bottom of the first. After walking three UT Martin batters to load the bases, she got Megan Latimer to strike out swinging to exit the inning scoreless.
The Racers threatened to score in the top of the third as Taylor Wilson led off the inning with a one-out triple down the left field line that rattled around in the outfield corner. She would fail to score two batters later as Jenna Bradley flew out to right field and Wilson was thrown out at the plate before crossing home to end the top of the third.
Murray State was the first team to reach the scoreboard as Lauren Buch scored Stephanie Mattocks from second with a double over the Skyhawk center fielder's head to put the Racers up 1-0 after the top of the fourth.
UT Martin tied the game at 1-1 on a Kosmecki error as her throw to first on a comebacker was errant, allowing one to score and putting runners at the corners. After a strikeout and a walk, Kristen Broadway relieved Kosmecki and got a pair of infield pop ups to escape the inning without further damage and keep the game tied.
Mattocks broke the 1-1 deadlock, drilling her second home run of the season over the fence in right with Megan Glosser on second to put the Racers up 3-1 in the top of the fifth.
UT Martin leadoff batter Leah Taylor gave UT Martin its first lead of the game, knocking a three-run home run to the alley in left field with one out and runners on second and third to put the hometown Skyhawks up 4-3.
Bradley gave the Racers life in the top of the seventh, hitting her second home run of the season with two outs to right center and keep the game alive.
The Skyhawks put a runner in scoring position with one out as Latimer singled on a ball past a diving Stephanie Edwards and later stole second base. A groundout to short kept her at second and MSU pitcher Madysen Wilton was in the way of a line drive back up the middle, getting hit in the feet and recovering in time to get the out at first to send the game to extra innings.
Ellyn Troup led off the eighth with a single, dropping a pop fly into shallow left field. Buch walked two batters later and scored with two outs on a single to left field before Alaina Zloty was thrown out trying to reach third from first to end the inning.
The Skyhawks (12-8, 2-0) kept the game going in their half of the inning, scoring Chelsea Cary from second with one out on a double into left field.
Both teams placed runners in scoring position in the ninth. Bradley doubled to left and Mattocks walked, each with two outs, but both were left stranded.
UT Martin tried to end the game with two outs on a Morgan Lewis double to right center, but perfect throws from Bradley and Buch to Troup got Laurie Lindow out at home trying to score from first.
Madysen Wilton took the loss for Murray State, throwing four innings in relief and giving up two runs on five hits and three walks with two strike outs.
Bradley and Mattocks each had two hits for MSU, with Mattocks the only Racer with multiple runs and RBI with two apeice.
MSU had runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings, including Buch reaching on a walk and advancing to second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt. Strike outs proved to be costly as four of five innings with Racers on at least second base ended with strike outs and six of seven innings concluded with strike outs for the final out of the inning.
UT Martin manufactured a run in the top of the third, scoring Taylor on a ground out to second base. The Skyhawks built their lead to three with a pair of runs in the fifth, one on a fielding error in right field and a second scoring on a double.
Chelsey Sullivan went the distance for the Racers in the circle, allowing three runs, two earned on four hits and five walks while striking out four.
