Zipko Leads Breds to Series-Opening Victory

Saturday, March 9

Mason, Ohio

3 p.m.

Murray State

6-7, 1-0

Morehead State

5-9, 0-1

Murray State

Morehead State

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

3/9/2013 5:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Senior shortstop Noah Zipko returned to his native Ohio, and did not disappoint the hometown crowd as he drove in three runs in leading Murray State to a 7-3 victory over Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference opener Saturday afternoon at Legacy Field.

Zipko finished the day going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and was just one of five Breds to have a multi-hit game. Ty Stetson led the way by going 4-for-5 with an RBI. Brandon Eggenschwiler, Dylan Wheeler and Taylor Mathews each added a pair of hits. Wheeler and Mathews each scored a pair of runs.

The Breds (6-7, 1-0 OVC) got things going in the second as Mike Kozlowski drew a four-pitch walk to start the inning. After a single to center form Wheeler and a bunt base hit from Mathews loaded the bases, Kozlowski raced home on a passed ball. Zipko followed with a run-scoring groundout to second and Paul Ritzheimer drove in the third run with a two-out RBI single through the left side.

MUR doubled its lead in the third as Eggenschwiler singled up the middle and stole second. A walk to Wheeler put two runners on for Mathews to single through the right side. Eggenschwiler scored as his slide knocked the ball out of the glove of the catcher. Zipko took advantage of the situation as he roped a two-run double into the left-field corner.

The Eagles (5-9, 0-1 OVC) got a run back in the bottom of the third as a two-out rally was sparked by a hit by pitch. Kane Sweeney followed by delivering a single to left center, and Alan Mocahbee drive in the runner from third with a line drive to center field.

The Breds pushed another run across in the fifth as Zipko continued to swing a hot bat with a single to left field. Nick Paradossi advanced the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt before a groundout moved Zipko to third. Stetson drove in the runner with a hard-hit ball off the glove of the pitcher.

MOR took advantage of a balk in the fifth inning to score its second run. Chris Robinson started the rally with a two-out bloop single into left center. After moving to second on a balk, Sweeney singled through the right side to score the runner from second.

The Eagles scored their third run in the eighth as Mocahbee doubled down the left-field line and came around to score on a wild pitch.

Cameron Finch (2-1) earned the victory after allowing two runs on five hits and three strikeouts over five innings. Blake Smith (0-1) took the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on eight hits, three walks and five strikeouts over 3.1 innings.

Will Handlin earned his first save of the season as he entered the game in the ninth inning in a bases-loaded, no out situation. He got the first hitter on a flyout to center field, before getting a strikeout and a groundout to short to end the threat and the game.

The two teams play the second game of the doubleheader approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.