Racers Split with Austin Peay, Retain Top Spot in OVC

Tuesday, April 9

Clarksville, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Murray State

17-19, 7-2

Austin Peay

22-15, 7-2

Murray State

Austin Peay

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

4/10/2019 12:08:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score Game 1 (PDF)Box Score Game 2 (PDF)

The Racers travelled to Clarksville, Tennessee to take on Austin Peay in an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. Earning a split with the Governors with a 4-2 loss followed by a 4-2 victory, the Racers improved to 8-2 against conference competition in 2019. Additionally, the Racers earned three more points in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border rivalry series against Austin Peay as they are now just a half point away from clinching the title for 2018-2019.

Game 1 – Austin Peay 4, Murray State 2:
It would be the Governors who put the first runs on the scoreboard in game one of the afternoon after Lexi Osowski came around to score for Austin Peay in the home half of the second inning. Osowski, who singled to begin the inning, came around to score after a throwing error saw her come all the way from first base on a ground ball off the bat of Brooke Pfeferle. Pfeferle would wind up on third as a result of the error, and would later score from third on a Natalie Schilling single as the Govs held a 2-0 lead through the end of the second inning.

Murray State would get one back in the next frame when a one-out fly ball to center field from Brenna Finck was hit deep enough to score Ellison Barrett from third, cutting the Governor lead to 2-1 after the top of the third inning.

With just a single run now separating the two sides, Austin Peay would retaliate in the first at-bat of the home half, getting the run back via a solo shot from Danielle Liermann who drove an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field to make it 3-1 in favor of Austin Peay.

Lillie Goetz would begin the fourth with a leadoff single down the line in right, but the Racers were unable to capitalize on the baserunner as three consecutive outs would be recorded to end the inning.

Austin Peay would appear to be in business in the bottom of the fourth after they opened the frame with back-to-back singles, but Ellison Barrett would enter the game in the circle for Murray State to retire three straight batters to escape the inning without any damage on the scoreboard.

Lindsey Carroll, the first Racer batter of the fifth inning, would shrink the deficit to just two runs after she launched her first career home run to left center on an 0-1 delivery from Morgan Rackel. Now chasing just two scores, the Racers would be within striking distance as they trailed 4-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning.

Ellison Barrett would continue to toss scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, but the Racers were unable to answer the call offensively as they would be blanked in the final two innings, falling to the Governors 4-2 in game one of the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border doubleheader.

Barrett's final line would be three hits over her three innings of work as she did not allow an earned run in her relief appearance for Murray State.

At the plate, four Racer batters would collect a hit, while the Lindsey Carroll home run would serve as the only extra-base hit in the 4-2 defeat.

Game 2 – Murray State 4, Austin Peay 2:
Austin Peay would once again be the first team on the scoreboard as they plated a run in the first inning when a Danielle Liermann single drove in Kacy Acree to give her side a 1-0 lead through one inning of action.

After coming up empty in the second, Murray State would have an opportunity to get on the scoreboard after Abby Shoulders drew a one-out walk and Brenna Finck followed with a single to put a runner in scoring position for the Racers. Jensen Striegel would step in as the next batter and would deliver with a base hit of her own to load the bases with one out in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, Lillie Goetz stepped in and stepped up with a two-run single to left field to give the Racers a 2-1 lead through the top of the third.

With Taylor Makowsky working in the circle for Murray State, she would face the minimum in the third and fourth frames as the Racers carried their one-run advantage into fifth inning.

In the visiting half of the fifth, the Racers put a runner in scoring position after Jensen Striegel stole second following her one-out single to give Murray State a chance to score an insurance run in the inning. After Lillie Goetz lined out to center field, Sierra Gilmore would drive in Striegel from second after she sent the first pitch into the gap in right center to give her side a 3-1 lead through their half of the fifth.

Austin Peay would respond with a run in the bottom of the inning when a two-out hit from Morgan Rackel scored Drew Dudley to make it a 3-2 ballgame. The inning would end, however, when Rackel would try to take second on the throw to the plate and a laser from Madison Culver behind the dish would be in time to record the third out of the inning.

After a scoreless sixth from both sides, Lexi Jones would tack on another Racer run when she sent a 2-2 offering sailing over the wall in right center to begin the inning. Her fifth round-tripper of the year would make it 4-2 to give the Racers a two-run cushion with Austin Peay down to their final three outs of the ballgame.

With Barrett in the circle for her second relief appearance of the afternoon, she would retire the side in order to secure a 4-2 victory for Murray State in game two of the doubleheader. Tossing two scoreless innings, Barrett would earn her first career save, while Taylor Makowsky would improve to 6-2 on the season after surrendering just two earned runs in her five-inning shift in game two.

Jensen Striegel (3-4, R, SB) and Sierra Gilmore (2-4, RBI) would turn in multi-hit performances for the Racers, while Lexi Jones hit her fifth home run of 2019.

The Racers (18-19, 8-2 OVC) remain at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings after earning the split with Austin Peay in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border doubleheader in Clarksville. In what will be the second stop in an eight-game road trip for Murray State, the Racers will return to action on Friday with a doubleheader against UT Martin in Martin, Tennessee.