Softball Takes Down Top-Seeded EIU, 3-1

Friday, May 10

Charleston, Ill.

12:30 p.m.

Murray State

25-26

Eastern Illinois

36-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Murray St.	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	3	7	0
Eastern Ill.	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

5/10/2013 2:10:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

| Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | Post-Game Interview | OVC Tournament Central

The Murray State softball team advanced to the semi-finals of the OVC tournament on Friday when they knocked-off the top-seeded host Eastern Illinois, 3-1.

The Panthers struck first in the bottom of the second on a play that was set up by a leadoff single up the middle from Brooke Owens. Two batters later, Ashleigh Westover made it 1-0 when she sent another one straight up the middle.

Two innings later, Alexa Becker led off the fourth inning with double, for just the second hit of the day by Murray State. However, Leslie Bridges put her team on top with one swing of the bat by belting out her fourth home run of the season and the ninth of her career.

In the fifth, CheyAnne Gaskey entered the game in relief of Shelby Kosmecki in an attempt to close out the game. Kosmecki threw four great innings for MSU in the contest allowing just one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

In the sixth, Mo Ramsey continued her hot hitting of late with an infield single to start the frame. Two batters later, Ellyn Troup picked up her second RBI of the tournament with a roller up the middle that scored Ramsey from second to make it 3-1.

In the final three innings of the contest, Gaskey proved to be equally as effective as Kosmecki and allowed no runs on just two hit with two strikeouts to help the Racers pick up the 3-1 win. With the win Kosmecki improved to 11-17 on the year, while Gakey picked up her sixth save of the season.

Shelbey Miller was the only Racer to tally multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-4, while Sarah Anderson, Becker, Bridges, Ramsey and Troup each recorded one hit. Through two games at the OVC tournament, Troup currently leads the Racers with a .500 batting average, a .571 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage.

The loss was the first of the season for the Panthers at William Field and put an end to 18-game home winning streak by Eastern Illinois that dated back to last season. The win marks the first time that the Racers have ever won their first two games at the OVC tournament, after winning their opener in each of the last two seasons.

Murray State will now advance to the semi-finals where they will take on sixth-seeded Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks pulled the first upset of the day when they topped the second-seed, SIU Edwardsville, 2-0 in nine innings in a game that was continued from Thursday's rain delay.

The Racers swept both games of a doubleheader at Jacksonville State earlier this season and are now 7-5 all-time against the Gamecocks. The two teams have met twice previously in the OVC Tournament with Jacksonville State winning, 6-1, in 2011 and the Racers taking last year's meeting, 5-3.

First pitch from Williams Field in Charleston on Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m. Live stats and free live audio, courtesy of Jacksonville State, will be available for the game and links can be found at GoRacers.com.