Murray State University Athletics
Friday, February 21
Montgomery, Ala.
12 P.M.
Murray State
8-2
14
vs
4
Howard
1-11
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Howard
1
0
0
0
3
4
11
3
Murray State
8
1
0
5
X
14
13
2
Photo by: Dan Hasko
Racers Make it Six Straight with Convincing Win Over Howard
2/21/2020 4:43:00 PM | Softball
Murray State softball opened the weekend in spectacular fashion on Friday, cruising to a 14-4 five-inning victory over the Bison of Howard University. The Racers (8-2) are now winners of six straight after the first of four games at the Stinger Classic in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend.
It would actually be the Bison who opened the scoring in the first frame, putting up a single run in the top half, but the Racers would respond with 14 unanswered - due in large part to an eight-run reply in the bottom of the first.
Sierra Gilmore got things going for Murray State when the junior from Williamsburg, Indiana drove in Logan Braundmeier and Lindsey Carroll to plate a pair of runs with nobody out in the first. Lexi Jones would then bring Gilmore around to score with a base hit of her own as the Racers took a 3-1 lead while the Bison still looked to record the first out in the inning. Jones would later come around to score when Jenna Bleiberg reached via an error on a ball hit to the shortstop.
It would then be Mashea Glover's turn as the freshman delivered with a one-out run-scoring single to score Abby Shoulders from third, making the score 5-1 in favor of the Racers.
Logan Braundmeier followed with a two-run double to center, scoring Glover and Chloe Jacque who had entered to pinch run for Bleiberg. A sacrifice fly from Sierra Gilmore would also be on the menu, as the ball advanced Glover the final 60 feet to home plate capping the Racer scoring in the first as Murray State held an 8-1 lead through one complete.
The Racers would tack on one more in the second when crafty base running manufactured the ninth run of the ballgame for Murray State. With Kristen Bialek on first and Abby Shoulders on third, both runners were able to steal bases with Shoulders sliding just under the tag at home plate to give her side a 9-1 advantage.
Hannah James got the nod in the circle, and would toss three strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out a pair of Bison batters before Taylor Makowsky took over to start the fourth.
The Racer offense continued to produce in the bottom of the fourth when a Lily Fischer double scored Gracey Murt and Kristen Bialek to widen the Racer margin to 11-1. A two-run single from Gilmore to score Fischer and Jensen Striegel followed by a Lexi Jones double to score Tyler Shemwell, brought the score line to 14-1 through four innings of action.
The Bison were able to put three runs on the board in the fifth, but it would not be enough to keep the game going as the contest would end with a final score of 14-4.
Picking up the win in the circle would be Hannah James as the sophomore from Nicholasville, Kentucky moved to 4-1 on the year.
At the plate, the Racers were led by Logan Braundmeier (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2B), Sierra Gilmore (2-2, 5 RBI, R), Lexi Jones (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2B), and Abby Shoulders (2-3, 2 R, 3B) who all posted two-hit performances on the afternoon. Additionally, Murray State's 13 hits overall are a season high in 2020.
The Racers will return to action on day two of the Stinger Classic on Saturday, with games scheduled against North Alabama (1:00 p.m.) and Grambling State (7:00 p.m.) in Montgomery, Alabama.
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It would actually be the Bison who opened the scoring in the first frame, putting up a single run in the top half, but the Racers would respond with 14 unanswered - due in large part to an eight-run reply in the bottom of the first.
Sierra Gilmore got things going for Murray State when the junior from Williamsburg, Indiana drove in Logan Braundmeier and Lindsey Carroll to plate a pair of runs with nobody out in the first. Lexi Jones would then bring Gilmore around to score with a base hit of her own as the Racers took a 3-1 lead while the Bison still looked to record the first out in the inning. Jones would later come around to score when Jenna Bleiberg reached via an error on a ball hit to the shortstop.
It would then be Mashea Glover's turn as the freshman delivered with a one-out run-scoring single to score Abby Shoulders from third, making the score 5-1 in favor of the Racers.
Logan Braundmeier followed with a two-run double to center, scoring Glover and Chloe Jacque who had entered to pinch run for Bleiberg. A sacrifice fly from Sierra Gilmore would also be on the menu, as the ball advanced Glover the final 60 feet to home plate capping the Racer scoring in the first as Murray State held an 8-1 lead through one complete.
The Racers would tack on one more in the second when crafty base running manufactured the ninth run of the ballgame for Murray State. With Kristen Bialek on first and Abby Shoulders on third, both runners were able to steal bases with Shoulders sliding just under the tag at home plate to give her side a 9-1 advantage.
Hannah James got the nod in the circle, and would toss three strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out a pair of Bison batters before Taylor Makowsky took over to start the fourth.
The Racer offense continued to produce in the bottom of the fourth when a Lily Fischer double scored Gracey Murt and Kristen Bialek to widen the Racer margin to 11-1. A two-run single from Gilmore to score Fischer and Jensen Striegel followed by a Lexi Jones double to score Tyler Shemwell, brought the score line to 14-1 through four innings of action.
The Bison were able to put three runs on the board in the fifth, but it would not be enough to keep the game going as the contest would end with a final score of 14-4.
Picking up the win in the circle would be Hannah James as the sophomore from Nicholasville, Kentucky moved to 4-1 on the year.
At the plate, the Racers were led by Logan Braundmeier (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2B), Sierra Gilmore (2-2, 5 RBI, R), Lexi Jones (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 2B), and Abby Shoulders (2-3, 2 R, 3B) who all posted two-hit performances on the afternoon. Additionally, Murray State's 13 hits overall are a season high in 2020.
The Racers will return to action on day two of the Stinger Classic on Saturday, with games scheduled against North Alabama (1:00 p.m.) and Grambling State (7:00 p.m.) in Montgomery, Alabama.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: James, Hannah (4-1)
L: HIXENBAUGH,S (0-5)
Batting:
2B: NAVARRO,C. 1 ; DENNIS,K. 1
RBI: DENNIS,K. 1 ; SALLEE,A. 2
SH: AGUILASOCHO, 1
Base Running:
RUNS: NAVARRO,C. 1 ; FERGUSON,T. 1 ; AGUILASOCHO, 1 ; DENNIS,K. 1
Batting:
2B: Braundmeier, Logan 1 ; Jones, Lexi 1 ; Fischer, Lily 1
3B: Shoulders, Abby 1
RBI: Braundmeier, Logan 2 ; Gilmore, Sierra 5 ; Jones, Lexi 2 ; Fischer, Lily 2 ; Glover, Mashea 1
SF: Gilmore, Sierra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Braundmeier, Logan 1 ; Carroll, Lindsey 1 ; Shemwell, Tyler 1 ; Gilmore, Sierra 1 ; Jones, Lexi 1 ; Murt, Gracey 1 ; Shoulders, Abby 2 ; Jacque, Chloe 1 ; Bialek, Kristen 1 ; Fischer, Lily 2 ; Striegel, Jensen 1 ; Glover, Mashea 1
SB: Shoulders, Abby 1 ; Bialek, Kristen 2
HBP: Bleiberg, Jenna 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/U
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF/U
/ Softball
U
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
U
/ Softball
U
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
U
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
U
/ Softball
OF
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