Murray State University Athletics
Saturday, April 23
Racer Field
1 p.m.
Murray State
vs
Tennessee Tech
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
Photo by: Patti Twaddle
Softball Hosts TTU, OVC Leading JSU This Weekend
4/22/2016 12:25:00 PM | Softball
Date: April 23-24, 2016
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)
Audio: None
TV/Web Stream: OVCDigitalNetwork.com
Live Stats: GoRacersLive.com
MUR Record (Streak): 18-24, 8-9 OVC (Lost 1)
TTU Record (Streak): 16-27, 7-10 OVC (Lost 1)
All-Time Series vs. TTU (Streak): MSU leads 11-6 (Lost 1)
JSU Record (Streak): 28-14, 17-0 OVC (Won 8)
All-Time Series vs. JSU (Streak): MSU leads 11-8 (Won 1)
MUR Next Game: April 26 vs. Western Kentucky (DH)
MUR Next Home: April 26 vs. Western Kentucky (DH)
This Weekend's Games
Murray State will play to host to a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with Tennessee Tech Saturday and Jacksonville State, who is currently undefeated in the OVC, Sunday. Murray State currently sits in sixth in the OVC standings, with three weeks left in the regular season, while Jax State leads the league and Tennessee State is ninth, just outside the eight-team OVC tournament field.
Previously On Racer Softball
The Racers were held to just four hits and four walks in Wednesday's 6-0 loss at Lipscomb. The Bisons scored four runs in the opening stanza of the game and never looked back. Maggie Glass was1-for-3 with a hit and a walk and broke up McCarly Thomas' no-hit bid in the fifth inning.
All-Time vs. Tennessee Tech
The Racers lead the all-time series with Tennessee Tech, 11-6. Murray State swept both games of the regular season in 2015, thanks to monstrous 10-run, seventh-inning comeback in game two. However, just a few weeks later, the Golden Eagles would get the drop on MSU at the OVC tournament en route to the championship. The two teams are 2-2 all-time in Murray, last splitting a doubleheader at Racer Field in 2014.
Scouting The Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech will enter Saturday at 16-27 and 7-10 in the OVC, currently outside of the post-season picture. The Golden Eagles lost a mid-week at home to Chattanooga Monday, 6-2, but took two out of three from Tennessee State in last weekend's series.
Leigh Thomas currently leads the TTU offense with a .292 average, while Sabrie Neeb follows at .276. As a team, the Golden Eagles are currently hitting .238, while opponents are hitting .276 against them. In the circle, Danielle Liberatore leads the way for Tech at 11-11 on the year with a 3.37 ERA, 172 strikeouts and just 61 walks. As a staff, the Tennessee Tech pitchers have a 4.65 ERA and are striking out batters compared to walking them at a 1.7:1 clip.
All-Time vs. Jacksonville State
After losing both regular-season games at Jacksonville State last year, but picking up a win over the Gamecocks in the OVC tournament, MSU enters Sunday at 11-8 all-time against Jax State. Murray State is 4-3 all-time against JSU in Murray, last sweeping a doubleheader between the two teams in 2014.
Scouting The Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are currently a perfect 17-0 in OVC play and sport a 28-14 overall record. The JSU has now won eight consecutive games overall, including a three-game sweep of Morehead last weekend at home, and 21 straight conference contests, dating back to last season.
Jax State currently leads the OVC in five different categories including batting average at .321, which is also the 32nd best in the nation. Ella Denes is currently batting an even .400 to lead her team to go along with other team-highs of 33 wins, 16 doubles and 33 RBIs.
In the circle, the Gamecocks have a 3.23 team ERA and their extremely deep bullpen, which features five pitchers with at least 10 appearances each, is led by Whitney Gillespie and her OVC-leading 1.23 ERA. She has also struck out 68 batters this season and is limiting opponents to a .161 average.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures this weekend will range from the mid to high 70's, with a very small chance of rain and winds at around 5-7 mph.
Offensive Struggles
Sans the 11-hit performance against SIUE, the Racer have averaged just three hot in four of their last five games and have scored just one run in that same span.
Déjà Vu
Sunday's walk-off home run against SIUE, was the second time in her career that Jocelynn Rodgers had sent the Racers off the field winners with a long ball. In 2014, down 4-2 in the seventh to EIU at home, Rodgers smacked a grand slam to give MSU the 6-4 win.
Record Retirement
Jessica Twaddle retired 21 runners Sunday against SIUE to set a new school single-game record for putouts. She now owns the top five performances in program history for that category.
Going The Distance
Mason Robinson recorded the longest solo shutout in school history Sunday by going the full 10 innings in the win. The 10 frames breaks her own previous record of nine which she set earlier this season when the Racers beat Missouri State, 1-0, at Western Kentucky. Robinson has now thrown the only two extended inning solo shutouts in MSU history.
Lucky Number Ten
Sunday's 10-inning win over SIUE marks the second time that the Racers have bested the Cougars in 10 innings. In 2014, Murray State used a sacrifice fly from Leslie Bridges to top SIUE, 5-4, also in 10 frames.
Free For All
Currently, this weekend's games with TTU and JSU are scheduled to be broadcast on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. As always, all games broadcast on the OVCDN are free of charge. Please not that coverage is subject to change without notice due to weather conditions.
Up Next
On Wednesday, the Racers will host their final non-conference contest of the season when they welcome Western Kentucky to Racer Field for a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m.
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)
Audio: None
TV/Web Stream: OVCDigitalNetwork.com
Live Stats: GoRacersLive.com
MUR Record (Streak): 18-24, 8-9 OVC (Lost 1)
TTU Record (Streak): 16-27, 7-10 OVC (Lost 1)
All-Time Series vs. TTU (Streak): MSU leads 11-6 (Lost 1)
JSU Record (Streak): 28-14, 17-0 OVC (Won 8)
All-Time Series vs. JSU (Streak): MSU leads 11-8 (Won 1)
MUR Next Game: April 26 vs. Western Kentucky (DH)
MUR Next Home: April 26 vs. Western Kentucky (DH)
This Weekend's Games
Murray State will play to host to a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with Tennessee Tech Saturday and Jacksonville State, who is currently undefeated in the OVC, Sunday. Murray State currently sits in sixth in the OVC standings, with three weeks left in the regular season, while Jax State leads the league and Tennessee State is ninth, just outside the eight-team OVC tournament field.
Previously On Racer Softball
The Racers were held to just four hits and four walks in Wednesday's 6-0 loss at Lipscomb. The Bisons scored four runs in the opening stanza of the game and never looked back. Maggie Glass was1-for-3 with a hit and a walk and broke up McCarly Thomas' no-hit bid in the fifth inning.
All-Time vs. Tennessee Tech
The Racers lead the all-time series with Tennessee Tech, 11-6. Murray State swept both games of the regular season in 2015, thanks to monstrous 10-run, seventh-inning comeback in game two. However, just a few weeks later, the Golden Eagles would get the drop on MSU at the OVC tournament en route to the championship. The two teams are 2-2 all-time in Murray, last splitting a doubleheader at Racer Field in 2014.
Scouting The Golden Eagles
Tennessee Tech will enter Saturday at 16-27 and 7-10 in the OVC, currently outside of the post-season picture. The Golden Eagles lost a mid-week at home to Chattanooga Monday, 6-2, but took two out of three from Tennessee State in last weekend's series.
Leigh Thomas currently leads the TTU offense with a .292 average, while Sabrie Neeb follows at .276. As a team, the Golden Eagles are currently hitting .238, while opponents are hitting .276 against them. In the circle, Danielle Liberatore leads the way for Tech at 11-11 on the year with a 3.37 ERA, 172 strikeouts and just 61 walks. As a staff, the Tennessee Tech pitchers have a 4.65 ERA and are striking out batters compared to walking them at a 1.7:1 clip.
All-Time vs. Jacksonville State
After losing both regular-season games at Jacksonville State last year, but picking up a win over the Gamecocks in the OVC tournament, MSU enters Sunday at 11-8 all-time against Jax State. Murray State is 4-3 all-time against JSU in Murray, last sweeping a doubleheader between the two teams in 2014.
Scouting The Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are currently a perfect 17-0 in OVC play and sport a 28-14 overall record. The JSU has now won eight consecutive games overall, including a three-game sweep of Morehead last weekend at home, and 21 straight conference contests, dating back to last season.
Jax State currently leads the OVC in five different categories including batting average at .321, which is also the 32nd best in the nation. Ella Denes is currently batting an even .400 to lead her team to go along with other team-highs of 33 wins, 16 doubles and 33 RBIs.
In the circle, the Gamecocks have a 3.23 team ERA and their extremely deep bullpen, which features five pitchers with at least 10 appearances each, is led by Whitney Gillespie and her OVC-leading 1.23 ERA. She has also struck out 68 batters this season and is limiting opponents to a .161 average.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures this weekend will range from the mid to high 70's, with a very small chance of rain and winds at around 5-7 mph.
Offensive Struggles
Sans the 11-hit performance against SIUE, the Racer have averaged just three hot in four of their last five games and have scored just one run in that same span.
Déjà Vu
Sunday's walk-off home run against SIUE, was the second time in her career that Jocelynn Rodgers had sent the Racers off the field winners with a long ball. In 2014, down 4-2 in the seventh to EIU at home, Rodgers smacked a grand slam to give MSU the 6-4 win.
Record Retirement
Jessica Twaddle retired 21 runners Sunday against SIUE to set a new school single-game record for putouts. She now owns the top five performances in program history for that category.
Going The Distance
Mason Robinson recorded the longest solo shutout in school history Sunday by going the full 10 innings in the win. The 10 frames breaks her own previous record of nine which she set earlier this season when the Racers beat Missouri State, 1-0, at Western Kentucky. Robinson has now thrown the only two extended inning solo shutouts in MSU history.
Lucky Number Ten
Sunday's 10-inning win over SIUE marks the second time that the Racers have bested the Cougars in 10 innings. In 2014, Murray State used a sacrifice fly from Leslie Bridges to top SIUE, 5-4, also in 10 frames.
Free For All
Currently, this weekend's games with TTU and JSU are scheduled to be broadcast on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. As always, all games broadcast on the OVCDN are free of charge. Please not that coverage is subject to change without notice due to weather conditions.
Up Next
On Wednesday, the Racers will host their final non-conference contest of the season when they welcome Western Kentucky to Racer Field for a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m.
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