Racers Drop Pair Of One-Run Games at EKU

Friday, March 23

Richmond, Ky.

1 p.m.

Murray State

9-19, 0-1

Eastern Kentucky

18-10, 1-0

Murray St.

Eastern Ky.

3/23/2018 5:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 GAME 1 BOX SCORE (PDF)GAME 2 BOX SCORE (PDF)SEASON STATS (PDF)

The Murray State softball team dropped a pair of 4-3 decisions Friday at Gertrude Hood Feld in Richmond, Kentucky to open OVC play for both teams, with the second game coming in eight innings.

In the opener, it was a two-run seventh bottom of the sixth that gave EKU the eventual win. Murray State tied the game at one in the fourth on a RBI single from Lexi Jones, then extended the lead to 3-1 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles from Sierra Gilmore and Brenna Finck.

Eastern Kentucky cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff home run from Carly Robinson, however the Racers were able to retire the next three batters in order to quell the rally. In the bottom of the sixth, the Colonels tied the game on a RBI-single from Emily Corbitt, before taking the advantage of a wild pitch by Murray State to take a 4-3 lead.

In the top of the seventh, MSU was retired in order to give EKU the victory. Brenna Finck was 2-for-3 in the game with a run, a RBI, a double and a walk, while Jensen Striegel was 2-for-4 with a run.

Haven Campbell got the no-decision start in the contest and allowed just one run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout over four innings of work. Olivia Suski took the loss for Murray State by allowing three runs on four hits over 1.2 innings.

In the second game, EKU once again jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, this time with a single up the middle from Corbitt in the second. In the third, the Colonels pushed the lead out to 2-0 when Paige Murphy launched her seventh home run of the year.

In the fifth, however, Logan Braundmeier and Lillie Goetz homered just one batter apart to tie the game at two, marking the first home run of the season for each Racer. In the sixth, Murray State took its first lead of the game on a double steal from Finck and Kristen Bialek, after Finck led off the frame with a double.

In the bottom of the stanza, the Colonels wasted little time tying the game at three with a leadoff home run from Destinee Lizzmore. After neither team scored in the seventh, Johnkyria Alston won the game for EKU with a single down the right field line in the eighth.

Finck and Goetz were each 3-for-4 in the contest for Murray State, while Braundmeier was 2-for-3. Amber Van Duyse went the distance for Murray State in the game and allowed four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

Murray State continues OVC play Monday with a doubleheader at Morehead State beginning at Noon CT.