Pair of Big Innings Cost Racers in Series Opener

Friday, May 1

Nashville, Tenn.

5 p.m.

Murray State

14-33, 0

Belmont

23-21, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Murray State	2	0	2	0	1	3	0	0	1	9	13	3
Belmont	0	6	0	0	0	7	0	0	X	13	15	2

5/1/2015 9:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Belmont scored all 13 of its runs in just two innings as the Murray State baseball team lost its series opener with the Bruins Friday night in Nashville, 13-9. Belmont scored six runs in the second and had a seven-run sixth inning in the contest.

The Racers (14-33, 9-13 OVC) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. A Nick Moore single to center scored Tyler Lawrence from second to open the scoring in the contest and the next at-bat, Kipp Moore delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.

After Belmont (23-21, 11-10 OVC) had its big second inning, MSU began to chip away at the deficit with two runs in the third via a two-run triple to right center field by Kipp Moore to score Nick and Lawrence. Kipp also forced a Bruin throwing error in the fifth inning to score Anthony Bayus and cut the BU lead down to 6-5.

MSU retook the lead with a three-run sixth inning. Yoder scored Taylor Mathews for the first run of the inning and later came around to score on a balk. Bayus was the third run of the inning when he scored on the second Belmont error of the game. However, the Bruins responded again with seven runs in the bottom half of the sixth to put the game away. Lawrence hit his seventh home run of the season to lead off the ninth inning down the left field line.

Lawrence went 3-for-5 in the contest. His three hits are a season-high for him and he also scored a season-high three runs to lead the way for the Racers. Bayus, Nick and Kipp Moore also delivered a pair of hits in the loss. As a team, MSU collected 13 hits while the Bruins had 14. The Racers scored eight of their nine runs with two outs in an inning and pounded-out 10 two-out hits overall.

Brad Boegel got the start on the mound in the contest. Boegel pitched five plus inning and allowed eight runs, four of them earned, on nine hits while striking-out six batters. Sheldon Baxter took the loss in game one. Baxter allowed one run on one hit in his 0.1 innings of work. Brandon Hicks and John Rafferty also pitched in relief in the loss.

Game two of the three-game series is set for a 1 p.m. start Saturday at Rose Park.