Opening Day Slugger - Anderson Cracks Two Homers Against Lipscomb

Monday, February 22

Hoover, Ala.

12 p.m.

Murray State

0-1

Lipscomb

1-0

Murray State

Lipscomb

Opening Day Slugger - Anderson Cracks Two Homers Against Lipscomb

2/22/2021 8:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Racer bats were stifled as they fell, 4-2 and 6-0 to Lipscomb in the opening day of the 2021 season.

Murray State baseball (0-2) returned to action for the first time in 347 days with a doubleheader against Lipscomb (2-0). The site was moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Hoover, Alabama due to weather.

The Racers threatened a few times during the games, but were ultimately plagued by strikeouts throughout the day.

Senior Brock Anderson provided the Racers only offense, hitting his first and second home runs of the season.

Senior Jordan Cozart added four hits and scored one run for the Racers.

Game 1 – Lipscomb 4, Murray State 2
After two scoreless innings, the Racers threatened in the third with two runners on. Jordan Holly singled to center and Jake Slunder walked but it was Lipscomb who got on the board first in the bottom half of the inning.

The Bisons put single tallies on the board in the third, fourth, seventh and eighth to take a 4-0 lead.

With the Racers down to their last three outs, Cozart singled to lead off the frame and Brock Anderson hit his first home run of the season to lead the score to 4-2. Tanner Booth and Holly walked with two out but were left stranded.

Ryan Perkins and Anderson each had a hit for the Racers. Holly and Cozart both tallied two hits in the game.

The Princeton, Kentucky native, sophomore Shane Burns got the start for the Racers on Opening Day going 5.0 innings, allowing four hits, two runs, three walks, and striking out one. Jake Jones came in relief and threw 3.0 innings, also allowing four hits and two runs while walking one and striking out one.

Game 2 – Lipscomb 8, Murray State 2
Lipscomb struck first in game two, talling a run in the bottom of the first.

The Bisons turned three hits and two MSU errors into four runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. Another scored in the sixth as the lead grew to 6-0 for Lipscomb.

Murray State had its best scoring chance in the seventh. The Racers had bases loaded and top of the order at the plate but were unable to push anything across.

The next inning with two outs, Cozart doubled to right field and Anderson knocked his second dinger of the day to put Murray State on the board.

Wes Schad, Alex Crump and Hudleson each had a hit for the Racers.

Overall, the Racers struck out 14 times in game two and worked just two walks.

The Racers pitching staff of Pennington, Whaley and Gorczyca allowed ten hits and struck out five on the night. Gorczyca made his Murray State debut tossing the last two innings and striking out one. Jacob Pennington was tagged with the loss.

Murray State heads to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face Middle Tennessee on Wedneday (February 24). First pitch at Reese Smith Jr. Field is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.