Colonels Squeak Past Racers In Both Games of DH

Friday, March 25

Richmond, Ky.

12 p.m.

Murray State

10-15, 1-3

Eastern Kentucky

19-6, 4-0

Murray St.

Eastern Ky.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

3/25/2016 6:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Murray State softball team dropped a pair of one-run decisions to Eastern Kentucky, 3-2 and 4-3 in 10-innings, Friday at Gertrude Hood Field in Richmond.

In game one, the Colonels (20-6, 5-0) were first on the board in the third after a two-out double from Amber Murray, who then advanced to third on a throwing error by the Racers. In the next at-bat, it looked as if MSU (10-16, 1-4) would escape the frame scoreless, but pitcher Mason Robinson had trouble wrangling in a grounder, allowing Murray to score and give EKU a 1-0 lead.

Jessica Twaddle did not allow the lead to last long as she homered for the second time this season to lead off the fourth and tied the game at one. In the fifth, Twaddle notched her second RBI of the day when she drove in Leah Kesel, who led off the stanza with a single, with a chopper down the third base line, to give the Racers the lead at 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Colonels got a pair of base runners with no outs on a third MSU error and a single by Kayla Joyce to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt advanced the runner, Krislyn Campos scored on a RBI ground out to tie the game at two. On the very next play, Joyce put EKU on top, 3-2, when she scored during Murray State's fourth error of the game.

In the top of the seventh, Murray State had runners at the corners with one out thanks to singles from Kesel and Shelbey Miller. However, Kesel would be thrown out at home on a passed ball and pitcher Alex Sallberg would strikeout the final Racer of the game to give her team the 3-2 win.

Despite outhitting the Colonels, 10-4, Murray State committed four errors in the game that directly led to the win. Due to the errors, all three of EKU's runs on the day went down as unearned.

Kesel finished the game at 3-for-3 with a run to lead the Racers, while Twaddle was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Mason Robinson got the loss after allowing three unearned runs on four hits with five strikeouts over seven innings.

In the second game, EKU put two runners on the bases in their first three at bats of the first inning with singles from Campos and Paige Murphy. Sarah Fobbs then made it 3-0 with a home run to right center, her third of the season.

The Colonels would add two more hits after the long ball, forcing head coach Kara Amundson to bring in Amber Van Duyse for starter Haven Campbell. Van Duyse then retired the next two batters to end the inning and limit the Colonels to three runs.

In the top of the second, Jocelynn Rodgers, Taylor Odom and Kesel all hit singles to load up the bases with just one out. MSU then cut into the lead at 3-1 with an RBI ground out from Maddy Fenney, followed by a double from Miller that scored Rodgers and Odom to tie the game at three.

The game would remain scoreless from that point on, thanks in large part to MSU stranding 13 base runners in the contest. In the bottom of the 10^th, Murray once again came up big for EKU, as she singled with one out. After a wild pitch advanced Murray to second, Campos sent a shot up the middle to score Murray for the 4-3 extra inning win.

Miller was 3-for-5 in the game with two doubles to lead MSU, while Kesel was 2-for-3 with a walk. Van Duyse took the hard luck loss for the Racers allowing just one run on 10 hits with three strikeouts and two walks over nine innings.

Murray State will close out its week long journey through the Commonwealth Saturday with a trip to Morehead State. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. CDT.