Racers Slated for Five Games at Lady Demon Classic

Dates: Feb. 14-16
Site (Venue): Natchitoches, La. (Lady Demon Diamond)
Live Video: http://bit.ly/2w8IcMO (Games against Northwestern State)
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2Sq6Txa
MSU Record (Streak): 3-2
Racers All-Time vs. The Field: 1-4 (1-4 vs. Northwestern State, 0-0 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
Northwestern State Record (Streak): 2-2 (Lost 2)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Record (Streak): 0-5 (Lost 5)
MSU Next Game: Feb. 21-23 at Stinger Classic – Montgomery, Ala.
MSU Next Home Game: March 13-15 (Racer Classic)

Murray State softball will continue the 2020 campaign with its second weekend of competition when they travel to Natchitoches, Louisiana for five games at the Lady Demon Classic. Of the five scheduled contests, three will come against the host Lady Demons of Northwestern State, while the remaining two will feature clashes with the Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Last Time Out:
The Racers took three of five on opening weekend, earning victories against South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, and Drake as head coach Kara Amundson cruised to her 200^th win since taking over the program in 2013. Murray State posted a pair of shutouts at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic in Northern Iowa, while holding their opponents to one run or less in all three their weekend triumphs. Outscoring the opposition 22-17 through five contests, the Racers surrendered just 3.4 runs per game defensively.

Offensively, the Racers batted .292 as a team, while slugging .444 thanks to 15 extra-base hits in their first action of 2020. Additionally, a disciplined approach at the plate saw 21 walks as Murray State reached base at a .395 clip on the weekend.

Individually, the Racers were fueled by juniors Sierra Gilmore and Logand Braundmeier as the two combined for 14 hits to open the year. Gilmore batted .500 with four extra-base hits that included a pair of round-trippers as the Williamsburg, Indiana native drove in seven runs while scoring four more of her own. Braundmeier, who hails from Aviston, Illinois, hit for a .462 average while doubling twice, scoring a pair of runs, and driving in two more.

In the circle, Hannah James picked up right where she left off a year ago, as the reigning OVC Freshman of the Year tossed a pair of complete game shutouts while striking out 17 in 21.2 innings of work. The sophomore, who was recognized for her performances with an OVC Pitcher of the Week title, made four total appearances – posting a 1.62 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .179 average at the dish.

All-Time Series:
Murray State will meet Northwestern State for the sixth time on Friday, with the Lady Demons holding the all-time series with a 4-1 record against the Racers. Northwestern State enters the weekend as winners of four-straight games in the series, with the most recent meeting coming in a 1-0 contest in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 2016.

As for Arkanas-Pine Bluff, the pair of weekend competitions will mark the first meetings between the Golden Lions and the Racers.

Scouting Northwestern State:
The Lady Demons went .500 on opening weekend as they enter their home opener with a 2-2 record. After they began the season with victories against U-Mass Lowell and Valparaiso, they came up short in back-to-back contests against the likes of Fordham and Houston respectively. Northwestern State is coming off a 2019 season that saw them post a 30-27 record with a 15-12 mark against Southland Conference opponents. The Lady Demons batted .307 with five home runs while outscoring opponents 27-16 through four contests on opening weekend, while carrying an ERA of 3.23 with 19 strikeouts over 26 innings in the circle.

Individually, the offense was guided by Hayle Barbazon who batted .556 with a home run and two runs scored through the Lady Demons' four games a week ago. 2019 All-Southland Conference selection E.C. Delafield also hit .417 with a pair of home runs and a team-high eight RBI. In the circle, Jensen Howell hurled a team-high 8.2 innings, striking out nine batters with an ERA of 0.81 through three outings.

Scouting Arkansas-Pine Bluff:
The Golden Lions have had a rough start to the 2020 campaign, going 0-5 while being outscored 54-14 on opening weekend in Lafayette, Louisiana. UAPB was selected to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Division of the SWAC in the preseason conference poll after a 2019 season that saw them post a 4-34 overall record. The Golden Lions are led by 2020 Preseason All-SWAC selection Shanice Akins, who batted .364 with a pair of doubles and a team-high four runs scored on opening weekend. In the circle, the Racers could expect to see Shakidiria Hubbard, who tossed a team-high 22.1 innings through five appearances a week ago, carrying an 8.46 ERA with a team-best five strikeouts.

Weather Forecast:
Friday's forecast in Natchitoches, Louisiana is calling for a sunny high of 54 degrees, with winds blowing to the north/northeast at around eight miles per hour with a 0% chance of precipitation. Saturday is an expected partly-cloudy high of 62 degrees, with winds to the south/southeast at six miles per hour and just a 10% chance for precipitation. Finally, Sunday will be the warmest day of the bunch, featuring temperatures in the mid-60s with mostly cloudy skies and a slight breeze to the southeast. Chance of precipitation: 20%

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Players Mentioned

Sierra Gilmore

Hannah James

Murray State University Athletics