Racers Keep It Close In DH Loss To JSU

Sunday, April 24

Racer Field

1 p.m.

Murray State

18-27, 0

Jacksonville State

31-14, 0

Jacksonville St.

Murray St.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

4/24/2016 6:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Murray State softball team came up just short in both games on Sunday's doubleheader as Jacksonville State continued its undefeated OVC season with a pair of 3-1 and 6-4 wins at Racer Field in Murray.

The Gamecocks (32-14, 21-0 OVC) got off to a hot start in the opening stanza of game one as they scored on a bases-loaded walk and a two-RBI single from Stephanie Lewis to take an early 3-0 lead. Both teams would remain scoreless from that point until the fifth inning when pinch runner Erika Downey took advantage of a Gamecock error and scored for Murray State, cutting the lead to 3-1.

However, despite having runners at second and third in the bottom of the seventh, the Racers (18-28, 8-13 OVC) could not bring either runner home and fell, 3-1. Jessica Twaddle led MSU in the contest by going 2-for-3, while Brenna Finck, Maddy Feeney and Maggie Glass had one hit each.

Mason Robinson fell to 13-14 on the season with the complete game loss, after allowing just two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

In game two, Jacksonville State once again struck early by putting each of its first three batters on base and then taking a 2-0 lead on a single up the middle from Jamie McGuire. The lead did not last long, however, as Shelbey Miller scored on a throwing error by Jax State followed by a pair of RBI-singles from Twaddle and Jocelynn Rodgers that gave Murray State a 3-2 advantage.

The MSU lead remained until the fifth when an outfield error by the Racers allowed Emily Woodruff, who led off the inning with a double, to score and tie the game at three. Two batters later, Lewis would send JSU surging into the lead with a three-run home run to make it 6-3.

In the seventh, MSU cut the lead to 6-4 after Twaddle began the inning with a single, was moved to second on a wild pitch and was scored on a single from pinch hitter Taylor Odom. Even with one out and a runner at first, the Racers were still unable to score and fell for the fifth time in as many games.

Twaddle led Murray State in the second game as well by going 3-for-4 with a double, to go along with two runs and a RBI. Miller followed Twaddle at 2-for-3, while Levins, Rodgers, Glass, Odom and Leah Kesel all put one in the hit column in the finale.

Haven Campbell (5-8) went 4.2 innings in the loss in which she allowed six runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Robinson finished the game for MSU in the circle and allowed no runs on just two hits with a strikeout over the final 2.1 innings of play.

Murray State will have just one day off before returning to action Tuesday in its final non-conference games of the season. The Racers will host in-Commonwealth rival Western Kentucky in a doubleheader at Racer Field that is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.