Racers Snag Two Wins on Opening Day

Friday, February 7

Cedar Falls, Iowa

11:15 AM

Murray State

1-0

South Dakota State

1-1

Murray State

SDSU

Photo by: Dan Hasko

2/7/2020 10:16:00 PM | Softball

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Murray State softball opened the 2020 campaign with a pair of victories on Friday, earning a 1-0 win over South Dakota State before defeating the host Panthers of Northern Iowa 3-1 at the Doc Halverson Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Murray State 1, South Dakota State 0
Hannah James picked up right where she left off in the circle a season ago, tossing a complete game shutout in her first outing of the 2020 campaign. The reigning OVC Freshman of the Year allowed just two hits, while recording nine strikeouts on an even 100 pitches.

In a contest that turned into a true pitchers' duel, senior Lexi Jones would be responsible for the game's lone run when she drove in freshman Lily Fischer on a sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the second inning.

Sierra Gilmore reached base four times, going 2-2 while drawing a pair of walks, while Lindsey Carroll (1-3) and Abby Shoulders (1-2, BB) each doubled in the competition.

Murray State 3, Northern Iowa 1
The Racers got revenge on Northern Iowa, after UNI spoiled Murray State's 2019 home opener in extra innings, by defeating the Panthers on their home turf in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Taylor Makowsky would get the nod in the circle for game two of the afternoon, tossing a stellar outing that went into the fifth inning while giving up just one run on four hits while fanning four Panther batters.

A Lindsey Carroll triple opened the scoring in the third, driving in Chloe Jacque after Jacque ran for Lexi Jones who began the inning with a leadoff single.
The Panthers answered back in the bottom half, however, when 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Sammey Bunch hit a solo shot to center field to even the score at 1-1 through three complete innings.

The score would remain unchanged until the Racer half of the sixth, when Logan Braundmeier gave her side the lead by driving in Sierra Gilmore who had doubled to begin open inning.

Jenna Veber took over for Makowsky in the circle for Murray State with one out in the sixth, and went on to retire the next two batters to preserve the Racer lead entering the final frame.

Murray State then tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Sierra Gilmore delivered with a two-out RBI double to score Lindsey Carroll - widening the Racer margin to 3-1.

Facing just one batter over the minimum in the seventh, Veber went on to seal the victory for the Racers to earn her first save in a Murray State uniform.

Gilmore tied a career high with three hits - going 3-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Carroll also scored a run and drove in another in a multi-hit outing of her own, going 2-3 with a triple as the Racers cruised to a 2-0 start to 2020.

The Racers will return to action on Saturday for day two of the Doc Halverson Classic, where they are set to take on the Coyotes of South Dakota at 8:00 a.m. followed by a second meeting with the host Panthers of Northern Iowa at 12:30 p.m.