Softball Wraps Up Spring Break With OVC Foes

Friday, March 22

Cookeville, Tenn.

1 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee Tech

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

3/22/2013 12:09:00 AM | Softball

Game Notes

MSU 2013 Record: 7-14 (1-1 OVC)

This Weekend's Opponents:
Tennessee Tech: 11-11 (0-0 OVC) | Live Stats G1 | Live Stats G2 | Live Video
All-Time vs. TTU: 5-5
Jacksonville State: 16-11 (3-0 OVC) | Live Stats G1 | Live Stats G2
All-Time vs. JSU: 5-5

The Murray State softball team will wrap-up its spring break trip this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders at OVC East rivals Tennessee Tech on Friday and Jacksonville State on Sunday. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

The Racers opened their 2013 spring break trip with a pair of mid-week non-conference losses. Murray State fell to eighth-ranked Tennessee, 7-0, on Tuesday, then lost an extra-inning heartbreaker to Chattanooga on Wednesday, 5-4, in eight. The Racers' third game of the trip on Thursday at East Tennessee State was canceled due to weather.

On Tuesday, The Racers were able to keep pace early with No. 8 Tennessee and trailed by just three through three innings. However, the Lady Vols used a big fourth inning to put Murray State away for good at 7-0.

MSU had trouble generating offense in the game, as they were held to just two hits by Tennessee pitchers Erin Gabriel and Ivy Renfroe. Shelbey Miller picked up a single for the Racers in the first inning, while Mo Ramsey got a double in the third.

On Thursday, the Racers rallied from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game at four in the seventh on a good piece of base running by Sarah Anderson and an error by Chattanooga. However, in the extra frame the Racers went three and out, while UTC's Stephanie Reick drove in her fifth runner of the day for the 5-4 walk-of win.

Morgan Harrell led seven MSU players with hits on the day with a career-high two. Meanwhile, Ellyn Troup, Leslie Bridges and Christian Cox all contributed to the Racers' offense with one RBI each.

Saturday will be the 11th and 12th meetings all-time between MSU and Tennessee Tech, with the series tied at 5-5. The series is also tied 1-1 in Murray, but the Racers hold a decisive advantage in Cookeville, winning four of the six meetings at Tech Softball Field.

The Golden Eagles won the final game of last year's three-game series, 4-0, but the Racers won the series, 2-1. However, Tennessee Tech got its revenge in the OVC tournament by beating MSU, 5-3, for a spot in the OVC title game.

The Golden Eagles are currently 11-11 on the season and due to inclement weather last weekend, Saturday will be their OVC opener. Tennessee Tech is coming off of a mid-week non-conference sweep at the hands of Lipscomb on Wednesday, 6-5 and 6-3. The pair of losses put an end to a two-game win streak by the Golden Eagles, after topping Providence and Thomas (Ga.) in consecutive outings.

Melody Christian is having a great season for Tennessee Tech and leads her team in both batting average and RBIs at .418 and 12, respectively. Taylor Ketchum currently leads the Golden Eagle pitching staff at 7-4 on the year, with a .216 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

The Racers are also 5-5 all-time against Jacksonville State and are 2-1 at University Field. The Racers trial the series, 3-2 in Murray, but are even at one game each on neutral territory. The two teams split their four meetings last season with the Gamecocks winning two of three in the regular season, but MSU winning the meeting in the OVC tournament.

The Gamecocks are currently 16-11 on the year and are a perfect 3-0 in the OVC. After sweeping Tennessee State to open league play last weekend, Jacksonville State fell in a mid-week game on Tuesday at Georgia State, 11-3. Sara Borders increased her team-high batting average in the game by going 1-for-2 with a home run, 2 RBIs and walk.

Borders currently boasts a .366 batting average to along with 16 RBIs, while Kalee Tabor has a team-high 26 RBIs and a .298 average. In the circle, Tiffany Harbin leads the way for JSU at 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 126 strikeouts, the second highest total in the OVC.

Live Stats will be available for all four games and links can be found at the beginning of this article. Free video, courtesy of the OVC Digital Network, will also be available for Friday's games at Tennessee Tech, with the link also available at the top of the page.