Racers Take Two From SIUE

Saturday, April 26

Racer Field

1 p.m.

Murray State

26-21, 0

SIU Edwardsville

24-20, 0

SIU Edwardsville

Murray St.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

4/26/2014 9:19:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

| G1 Box Score (PDF) | G2 Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) |

The Murray State softball team won both games of Saturday's doubleheader against SIU Edwardsville, 5-4 in 10 innings and 7-2, at Racer Field in Murray. The two wins against the Cougars, who entered the day leading the OVC, kept Murray State firmly in the fifth spot in the league standings, just a half-game behind fourth-placed Eastern Kentucky.

Game 1 –Murray St. 5 (26-21, 13-8), SIU Edwardsville 4 (24-20, 16-4) – 10 Innings

The Racers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the opener when Alexa Becker blasted her seventh home run of the season to left center in the bottom of the first inning. However, SIU Edwardsville answered in the second when Allison Smiley scored on an error, after reaching on a lead-off double.

In the fifth, Murray State put up a three-spot to surge to a 4-1 lead. Cayla Levins was the first to score as she singled to get on base and after a ground out and a single from Mo Ramsey found herself at third. During Becker's at-bat, Levins and Ramsey completed a successful double steal to make it 2-1. Just moments later, Becker made it 4-1 with her second home run of the day to almost the exact same spot as her first.

The three-run lead, however, did not deter SIUE as it answered with three runs of its own in the top of the sixth. The Cougars started by adding two runs on the same play with a hit down the left field line from Kayla Riggs and a Murray State throwing error. Two batters later, Riggs tied the game at four when she scored on an infield single by Jill Rackers.

Neither team was able to add any more runs from that point, so the game headed to extras after seven complete. In the eighth and ninth, both teams played heads-up defense with SIUE stranding two Racers and Murray State stalling three Cougars on the base paths, leaving the score deadlocked at four.

Per OVC rules, when the 10^th inning began a runner was placed on second base for each team via the international tie-breaker. In the top of the frame, SIUE advanced its runner to third with one out, but Murray State's defense won out again to give the Racers a chance at the win.

With one out in the bottom of the 10^th, Levins, the placed runner, advanced to third on a wild pitch to set up the winning play. SIUE intentionally walked the next two batters, to load the bases in order to set up force plays at every base. After the two intentional walks, Leslie Bridges hit a sac fly to right field that allowed Levins to score for the dramatic 5-4 win.

Becker finished game one at 2-for-3 on the day with two home runs, two runs, two walks, a stolen base and three RBIs. Twaddle also had two hits in the game, while Levins had one hit and two runs.

Mason Robinson picked up the complete-game win in the circle for Murray State to advance to 10-8 on the year. Over 10 full innings, she allowed just one earned run on nine hits with a career-high nine strikeouts and only two walks.

Game 2 – Murray St. 7 (27-21, 14-8), SIU Edwardsville 2 (24-21, 16-5)

In the second game, it was all Murray State. The Racers busted the game wide-open in the third by jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Cayla Levins, Mo Ramsey, Alexa Becker, Leslie Bridges and Jessica Twaddle all had hits in the frame, while Levins, Ramsey, Bridges and Twaddle all scored.

Murray State added two more runs in the fourth on RBI-singles from Becker and Bridges. Becker's hit scored Shelbey Miller, who tallied the inning's first hit, while Bridges' hit scored Becker from third, after her second successful steal attempt of the game.

The Racers' final run of the afternoon came in the fifth inning on a single up the middle by Miller that allowed Levins to cross the plate. The Cougars scored two in the seventh, but it was too little, too late, as MSU held on for the 7-2 win.

Bridges, Twaddle, Becker and Miller finished the game with the exact same line; 2-for-4 with a run. Bridges asl tallied two RBIs in the contest, while Becker Twaddle and Miller each had one.

CheyAnne Gaskey went the full seven innings for Murray State to move to 11-11 on the season. She allowed just two runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and only one walk.

Murray State will return to Racer Field for the final time this season on Sunday to close out the three-game set with SIUE. First pitch is slated for Noon, with senior day festivities scheduled to begin at approximately 11:45 a.m.