Racers Can't Overcome Slow Start in Loss at WKU

Wednesday, April 15

Bowling Green, KY

6 p.m.

Murray State

14-24

Western Kentucky

18-16

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Murray State	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	0	4	7	0
WKU	0	4	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	5	7	1

4/15/2015 9:40:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

For the second game in as many nights, the Murray State baseball team was unable to overcome an early 4-0 deficit, as the Racers lost 5-4 Wednesday night in Bowling Green to Western Kentucky.

WKU (18-16) used a four-run second inning, to propel itself to its big lead early in the contest. All four of the Hilltoppers' runs came with two outs in the inning. MSU (14-24) found a way to respond though in the fourth with a three-run inning. A Taylor Mathews single through the right side got the Racers on the board first as he brought in Dalton West. Three batters later, a Matt McGowan single to right center made it 4-2 on the run b Mathews. MSU then got a little tricky as a double steal by McGowan and Kipp Moore, allowed Moore to steal home and make it 4-3.

The Hilltoppers were able to add an insurance run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly RBI to make the score 5-3, which proved to be the game-deciding run. Nick Moore's second home run of the season brought the Racers back within one run at 5-4 in the seventh. Moore's blast went to left center field.

In the ninth, after a Pokey Harris bunt single led-off the inning for MSU, a controversial play ended up costing the Racers the runner on base. Kipp Moore was called for batter's interference on what would have been a stolen base for Harris, giving the Racers two outs in the inning. Brock Downey grounded-out for MSU in the next at-bat to end the game.

Both teams collected seven hits in the game while WKU committed the only error in the contest. Harris was the lone Racer with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 at the dish. Harris and West both had doubles in the loss for Murray State.

John Lollar got the start in the game for MSU and took the loss, dropping him to 1-4 on the season. Lollar pitched six innings and allowed five runs off of six hits while strking-out and walking three batters apiece. Andrew Bramley pitched a ver solid seventh and eighth inning of relief for the Racers. Bramley allowed just one hit in his appearance and struck-out a season-best four batters.

MSU returns to conference action after a six-game layoff from OVC play this weekend as the Racers travel to face Tennessee Tech in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. Friday in Cookeville.