Murray State
Morehead State
Racers Slug Past Morehead State To Take Saturday Doubleheader
4/2/2011 8:55:27 PM | Softball
Five Home Runs Highlight Murray State Victories
BOX SCORE GAME 1
BOX SCORE GAME 2
Murray State softball earned its first OVC series win of the season Saturday afternoon, hitting five home runs in a pair of 7-4 and 8-6 victories at Morehead State in Morehead, Ky.
The Racers got to Morehead State starter Ashley Imperial in the top of the second, scoring three runs on a trio of doubles. Ellyn Troup started things off for Murray State with a line drive off the wall in straightaway center field. She advanced to third two batters later when Stephanie Mattocks reached on an error off of the Morehead State shortstop's glove, giving the Racers runners on the corners. Meghan Sims put Murray State on the scoreboard with a double off the top of the wall in center to score Troup. Taylor Wilson followed with another double to center, scoring Sims and Mattocks and putting Murray State up 3-0.
Lauren Buch added to the Murray State (9-18, 4-8 OVC) total in the third, driving in Bradley on an infield single to shortstop.
Morehead State (10-24, 4-9 OVC) scored their first run in the bottom half of the third, driving a ball up the middle to score a runner from second with two outs in the inning.
Wilson got the run back in the next half inning, reaching on a double to left field to lead off the frame and scoring on a wild pitch with two outs to increase the Murray State advantage to 5-1.
Bradley and Troup each hit their first home runs of the game in the top of the fifth on shots to center field for the Racers final funs of the game, giving Murray State a 7-1 lead.
Morehead State chipped into the lead in the final two innings, scoring a pair of unearned runs on a single into left field from Elizabeth Wagner before Wagner got caught in a run down between second and third and was tagged out to end the inning.
The Eagles had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after cutting the score to 7-4 on a sacrifice fly to left field with the bases loaded on the inning's first out. Murray State starting pitcher Shelby Kosmecki completed the complete game victory with a sacrifice bunt and ground out to shortstop to wrap up the victory.
Kosmecki picked up a win in her third straight start over the previous week, moving to 4-3 on the season. She gave up eight hits and six walks in seven innings, striking out five and leaving 11 Morehead State runners stranded, including getting a strike out to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth.
Ashley Imperial took the loss for Morehead State, lasting just 1.1 innings and allowing three runs, two of them earned, on four hits.
Seven of the Racers nine hits in the opener were for extra bases, five coming on doubles with a pair of home runs.
Bradley, Troup and Wilson paced Murray State with two hits each in the opener, with Bradley and Troup scoring twice and Wilson leading the Racers with two RBI.
The Murray State power display continued in game two as Bradley homered for the second time, drilling a two-run shot off of the scoreboard in left field to put the Racers up 2-0.
Morehead State came back in its half of the inning to score four times, three coming on a bases-clearing double from Stephanie Etter off of Murray State starter Chelsey Sullivan, to take its first lead of the day at 4-2.
After adding a solo run in the bottom of the third to take a three run lead, the Racers stormed back in the top of the fifth. Stephanie Edwards homered for the second time this week to left center to put Murray State down two. After a pair of one out walks to Bradley and Buch, Troup knocked her second home run of the day and put the Racers up 6-5. They added a fifth run in the inning on a single through the left side of the infield from Megan Glosser with the bases loaded to take a 7-5 lead.
Leslie Bridgess added an eighth run for Murray State in the top of the sixth, doubling to left field to score Buch from first with two outs.
Morehead State added a final run in the seventh, getting a two out home run from Rachel Butler for the 8-5 final score.
Sullivan improved to 4-10 on the season, allowing eight hits and four walks with two strike outs in earning the complete game victory.
Kelcey McMurray was saddled with the loss for Morehead State, allowing seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 4.1 innings.
Glosser, Edwards and Bridges each led Murray State with two hits with Edwards, Bradley and Buch scoring twice in the game.
Murray State looks to earn its first series sweep Sunday afternoon, completing the weekend set against Morehead State at noon.
