TSU Rallies To Earn Split With Racers

Saturday, April 9

Nashville, Tenn.

1 p.m.

Murray State

15-19, 5-6

Tennessee State

7-31, 0-11

Murray St.

Tennessee St.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

4/9/2016 7:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Murray State softball team easily handled Tennessee State, 7-2, in the opener of the team's doubleheader Saturday at Tiger Field in Nashville. However, in game two, the Tigers rallied for a 5-4 win for the split.

In the opener, the Racers cranked out 13 hits en route to the 7-2 victory. The Racers scored one run each in the second and the fourth, but busted the game open in the sixth with five runs. Tennessee State scored one run each in the third and sixth, but it was not enough, as they were limited to just five hits by Murray State pitcher Mason Robinson.

Maggie Glass led the Racers in the win by going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a run and a walk, while Jessica Twaddle was 2-for-4 with a run, two RBIs and a double. Maddy Feeney also recorded multiple hits in the contest by going 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base.

Robinson went the distance for the 15^th time this season in the win to move to 11-9 on the year. The junior allowed just two unearned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk.

In game two, Murray State wasted little time in scoring, as Shelbey Miller led off the opening stanza with a double and then scored on a double steal with Leah Kesel. Kesel would then score herself on a sacrifice fly from Cayla Levins to make it 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, however, Tennessee State cut the lead in half on back-to-back singles from Lindsey Burgess and Joselynn Yates that were aided by a Murray State wild pitch and an error.

In the fourth, the Racers made it 3-1 on an infield single from Kesel that scored Feeney. In the bottom of the frame, the Tigers loaded up the bases with no outs and threatened to take the lead. Despite the opportunity, the Tigers were limited to just one run thanks to good defense from MSU that included their third double play of the game, leaving the lead at 3-2.

In the fifth, Glass pushed lead back out to two runs with a single that scored Levins to make it 4-2. Just like each time previous Murray State had increased the lead to two runs, the Tigers answered with one run in the bottom of that stanza, this time on a RBI groundout from Danica Gleason that scored Maddi Clark, cutting the lead to 4-3.

In the seventh, TSU pulled of the comeback with a two-run walk-off double after putting two runners on with a single and a hit by pitch.

Miller, Downey and Finck each recorded two hits in the game, with Miller also swiping two bases and Feeney stealing one. Campbell picked up the loss in the game for MSU by allowing four earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and walk over 6.1 innings.

Murray State returns to the friendly confines Sunday to host a doubleheader with Belmont. First pitch at Racer Field in Murray is scheduled for 1 p.m.