Pitching, Timely Hitting Lifts Racers Past SEMO in Rubber Game

Saturday, April 13

Murray, Ky.

11:30 a.m.

Murray State

16-17, 10-5

Southeast Missouri

16-20, 6-12

Southeast Missouri

Murray St.

Shane Burns

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Pitching, Timely Hitting Lifts Racers Past SEMO in Rubber Game

4/13/2019 3:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Murray State baseball team capped their weekend with its fifth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference series victory after taking the rubber game against Southeast Missouri, 6-5, Saturday afternoon at Reagan Field.

The Racers improve to 16-17 overall and 10-5 in the OVC while SEMO falls to 16-20 and 6-12 in conference play.

Shane Burns pitched one of the best games of his young career as he threw 7.2 innings, striking out seven against one walk while allowing just three runs.

"Shane had all three pitches going today," said head coach Dan Skirka. "He was confident in his fastball, curveball, and changeup, and that's what makes him so tough, he'll throw any pitch in any count."

Jaron Robinson and Jordan Cozart combined for five of the six Murray State hits in the game while Robinson contributed three RBI and Cozart scored two runs. Wes Schad had the only other hit in the game for the Racers and Jordan Holly had two RBI.

After a scoreless first inning for both teams, SEMO took the lead with a run in the second. However, the lead did not last long as the Racers answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs to take the lead.

Two singles by Schad and Cozart sandwiched Ryan Perkins getting hit by a pitch to open the inning and set up bases loaded no outs for Robinson. The senior blasted a 1-0 pitch to left, just missing a grand slam, settling for a two-run single off the wall. After Bryan Chilton was hit by a pitch, Holly walked to force in the third run before Jake Slunder hit a sacrifice fly to finish off the inning.

The Redhawks got a run back in the third, but again the Racers responded as Perkins reached on an error before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly by Robinson to make it 5-2.

Burns kept mowing the Redhawks down, not allowing a hit for the next three innings. Holly gave the Racers an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as he hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Cozart, who had doubled to lead off the frame.

Things got dicey for MSU in the eighth as the first two runners reached base, but Burns buckled down to strike out the next two batters, including a 13-pitch battle for out number two. However, Burns could not get through the inning as the next batter reached on a bunt single, ending the freshman's day after 115 pitches.

Braydon Cook came out of the pen to get the final out and after walking a batter to force in a run, got the final out with a comebacker, preserving a three-run lead with just one inning to play.

The ninth inning was not stress-free either as the Redhawks put the first two runners on with a walk and a double, but Cook got the next three batters out on two groundouts and a fly out as the Racers held on for a 6-5 victory.

The Racers wrap up their five-game homestand with a single game against Evansville, Tuesday evening. First pitch at Reagan Field is scheduled for 5 p.m.