Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Eastern Kentucky
Racers Close Out Regular Season With 3-0 Win at EKU
5/6/2012 2:49:00 PM | Softball
Murray State softball ended the 2012 regular season on a high note, winning its second straight over Eastern Kentucky 3-0 at Gertrude Hood Field in Richmond, Ky.
The Racers (32-19, 19-11) got to EKU starting pitcher Hannah Driver in the top of the third, pounding four hard hits off of the right-hander in the inning. Casey Castile gave MSU the game's first run of the day on a deep home run to left center with one out, her team-leading tenth of the year.
Two batters later, Ellyn Troup followed with her own solo shot on a line drive inside the left field foul pole. Her third round-tripper of the season put the Racers up 2-0.
Leslie Bridges and Sarah Anderson followed with singles into the outfield to keep the inning alive, and a full-count walk to Meghan Sims loaded the bases, but the throw to first on a ground ball by Megan Glosser was just in time to get the Colonels out of the inning.
Castile gave the Racers an insurance run in the top of the seventh, hitting her second home run of the day and 11th on the season to left field to put MSU ahead 3-0.
The Racers got all three pitchers involved in the shutout, starting with Shelby Kosmecki. She improved to 12-11 on the season, allowing one hit and a walk with three strikeouts through four innings. Chelsey Sullivan pitched the fifth and sixth, giving up a pair of hits in two innings. CheyAnne Gaskey tossed a perfect seventh, earning her second save on the season.
Murray State out-hit the Colonels 8-3 on the game, led by three hits from Castile. Troup reached four times on the day, recording a pair of hits with a walk and a hit by pitch, and Anderson added a pair of hits.
The Racers end the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference tied for third in the standings with Jacksonville State at 19-11. MSU heads to the OVC Championships seeded fourth as the Gamecocks hold the tiebreaker over the Racers after winning two-of-three games earlier this season.
Murray State and #5 Eastern Kentucky will meet for the fourth time in six days in the first round of the OVC Championships. The winner of Thursday's 12:30 p.m. game will advance to play #1 UT Martin, with the loser facing the loser of Jacksonville State & Tennessee Tech.
