Late Rally Comes up Short, Racers Fall to Eastern Kentucky

Wednesday, May 8

Oxford, Ala.

5:30 P.M.

Murray State

26-26

Eastern Kentucky

32-18

Eastern Ky.

Murray St.

Photo by: Dan Hasko

Late Rally Comes up Short, Racers Fall to Eastern Kentucky

5/8/2019 10:58:00 PM | Softball

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The Racers would take on the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky in their first game of the 2019 OVC Tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama on Wednesday evening. In a contest that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final out, Murray State would fall to EKU by a final score of 5-3.

The Racers would be the first team on the scoreboard in the first inning when Madison Culver drove in Lillie Goetz with a two-out single to center field.

Eastern Kentucky would later collect two hits while taking advantage of a pair of Murray State defensive miscues in the third, as they regained momentum with a three-run inning to capture a 3-1 lead in the ballgame.

The Racers had an answer in the bottom half, however, when Lillie Goetz scored her second run of the day – this time courtesy of a Sierra Gilmore one-out double to left field to cut the Colonel lead to 3-2 through the end of the third inning.

After base hits from Denise Teague and Lindsey Carroll, the Racers would load the bases after Lillie Goetz kept the following inning alive with a walk with two outs in the bottom of the fourth frame. Unfortunately, the runners would be left stranded as EKU pitcher Samantha Reynoso worked out of the jam after inheriting a pair of Racer runners when she entered the circle with two outs in the inning.

With the Colonels still clinging to a 3-2 lead in the fifth, they would tack on two more when Destinee Lizzmore homered to right field with one out in the inning.
Now trailing by three scores, the resilient Racers fought back in the home half, knocking one run off of the deficit when Brenna Finck sent an 0-1 offering through the right side to score Sierra Gilmore from second.

After Amber Van Duyse entered the circle for the Racers in the fifth, the senior from De Pere, Wisconsin would retire the side in order in both the sixth and the seventh innings to keep the game at 5-3 as the contest approached the bottom of the final frame.

After one-out singles from Madison Culver and Brenna Finck put the tying run on the bases for the Racers, Denise Teague would put runners at all stations when she drew a two-out walk – moving the tying run to second base. Down to their final out of the ballgame, a storybook ending would not be in the cards for the Racers, as they fell to Eastern Kentucky by a final score of 5-3.

Amber Van Duyse would record seven outs without surrendering a hit in a scoreless relief appearance in the circle for Murray State.

Leading the way at the plate would be Sierra Gilmore (3-4, 2B, RBI, R), while Brenna Finck, Madison Culver, and Lindsey Carroll would all collect two hits apiece to fuel a Racer offense that posted 11 hits on the day.

The Racers will return to action on the second day of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday, as they will take on the loser of Jacksonville State and Austin Peay at 2:00 p.m. at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.