Softball Sets Records In Sweep At UTM

Saturday, May 2

Martin, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Murray State

34-17, 18-7

UT Martin

24-24, 9-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Murray St.	0	0	0	4	1	3	0	8	11	1
UT Martin	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

5/2/2015 11:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Murray State softball team beat UT Martin twice, 8-1 and 6-2, Saturday at Bettye Giles Field in Martin, Tennessee, to clinch the series with the Skyhawks and lock itself into no worse than the No. 3 seed in next week's OVC Tournament. The wins move the Racers to 35-17 overall and 19-7 in the OVC, breaking the season wins mark and tying the conference wins mark, both set in 2012 in four more games than this year's team.

In game one, UTM jumped out to an early lead in the second on a MSU error that allowed Kelsey Dixon to score, after leading off the inning with a double. Skyhawk pitcher Elizabeth Wiegand was nearly flawless in the first three innings, giving up no hits and just one walk over the first 10 batters.

However, in the fourth the Racers exploded for four runs and then added one more in the fifth and three in the seventh. After the third inning, MSU pitcher CheyAnne Gaskey clamped down on the Skyhawks and allowed no additional runs on just one more hit in the final four innings of the game for the 8-1 Racer win.

Jocelynn Rodgers was 2-for-4 in the game with a run and two RBIs, as Murray State outhit the Skyhawks, 11-3. Meanwhile Cayla Levins also tallied two hits in the opener, while Kaylen Zierke and Jessica Twaddle added two RBIs each. Gaskey picked up her 18^th win of the season in the complete game effort by allowing just one run on three hits with one strikeout.

In game two, the Racers jumped out to an early 2-0 on a RBI-triple by Shelbey Miller in the first and a RBI-double from Kaylyn Zierke in the fourth. However, in the bottom of the fourth, Carly Gonzales scored Bella Zizzi, who led off the inning with a single, to cut Murray State's lead in half.

In the sixth, MSU scored four runs on another offensive outburst with a two-run double from Alexa Becker and a two-run home run from Jessica Twaddle. The Skyhawks would add one more run in the sixth, but it was not enough as MSU held on for the 6-2 win.

Twaddle was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks in the game, while Becker was 1-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Mason Robinson moved to 14-5 on the year with the win, going six innings and allowing just one earned run on seven hits with two strikeouts. J.J. Francis closed out the game for the Racers, allowing no runs on no hits with a strikeout and a walk.

The Racers will return to Martin on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the series finale with the Skyhawks. A win by MSU, coupled with a Jacksonville State loss to Eastern Kentucky, would elevate the Racers to the two-seed and give them their highest ever OVC finish.