Softball Opens Fall With Two Wins

Sunday, September 15

Racer Field

1 p.m.

Murray State

1-0

St. Catharine

0-1

St. Catharine

Murray St.

9/15/2013 6:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

| Box Score Game 1 (PDF) | Box Score Game 2 (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | Photo Gallery

While Racer Field will not officially open until this spring, fans got their first taste of action at the new ballpark Sunday as the Murray State softball team opened its fall season with a pair of wins over St. Catharine.

The opener between the two teams was tight, but the Racers were first on the board in the opening stanza with an RBI-single from Leslie Bridges that scored Mo Ramsey. Murray State added a second run in the fourth with a double from Maggie Glass that scored Mallory Young. Young was pinch running for Bridges, who opened the inning with her second hit of the game.

That would be all the offense that MSU would need in the game, as it received strong pitching performances from CheyAnne Gaskey and Bridges. Gaskey allowed no runs on two hits over four innings with six strikeouts for the win, while Bridges allowed no hits and no runs with two strikeouts over three innings for the save.

The second game started out a little shaky for Murray State, as St. Catharine opened the top of the first with three runs on three hits and a Racer error. Despite the rough start, the Racers settled down and tied up the game with three runs of their own in the second.

The rally began with a big double from J.T. Twaddle that drove in Casey Castile and Mallory Richardson. After stealing third, Glass found her way home in the next at bat on a sacrifice fly from Jocelynn Rodgers.

Shelbey Miller opened up the next inning with her own double and was brought home in the next at bat with a sacrifice fly from Ramsey. History repeated itself in the next two at bats when Becker smacked the first of her two doubles in the game and was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Glass, to make it 5-3.

The Patriots cut the lead to one in the fourth when Shelbi Thornhill hit the lone home run of the day over the right field wall. However, the Racers tacked on one run in both the fifth and sixth innings to clinch the game at 7-4.

Bridges doubled to bring home Becker in the fifth, while Young scored Miller with an RBI-single in the sixth. Both Miller and Becker ended the game at 2-for-4, with all four hits coming by way of the double.

J.J. Francis picked up the win for the Racers, after allowing four runs on five hits with four strikeouts over four innings. Mason Robinson earned a save for her work in the final three innings, allowing no runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

The Racers will continue fall play Saturday when they travel to Carbondale for the 2013 Southern Illinois Saluki Fall Round Robin I. MSU will open play against Saint Louis at Noon, followed by John A Logan at 4 p.m.