Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
6-8
Eastern Illinois
9-6
Racers Set New Program Record With Seven Home Runs in Game Two To Win First Conference Series
3/14/2021 12:03:00 AM | Baseball
Murray State (7-8) split the day two doubleheader against Eastern Illinois (9-7) in Charleston, Illinois on Saturday.
The Racers set a new single game program record with their seven home runs in game two of the double header. Six different Racers launched home runs on Saturday.
Jordan Cozart led the team with three homers, seven RBIs and four runs scored.
Jake Slunder also had a big day at the plate going 5-for-10 and delivered the biggest blast of the day, a grand slam, for his first long ball of the season and the first grand slam of his career.
Brock Anderson and Bryson Bloomer had multi-home run games, while Tanner Booth and Jordan Holly also added homers against the Panthers.
Game 1 – Eastern Illinois 14, Murray State 10
The Murray State offense got rolling in the first inning. Leadoff batter, Jake Slunder started the day with a double to right center and Jordan Cozart hit his first home run of the day to put the Racers in front with a two-run blast.
The Racers added one more in the inning after Brock Anderson doubled, stole third and then scored on a groundout to shortstop.
Murray State then put up single tallies in the second, third and fourth.
Eastern Illinois took a 6-5 lead in the third scoring five runs on five hits. They then increased their lead to 12-6 scoring six runs on eight hits and two errors through the next three innings.
The Racers chipped away at the Panthers as Tanner Booth and Jordan Cozart both hit two-run shots to come within two of EIU but the effort was not enough as the Racer fell 14-10.
Game 2 – Murray State 15, Eastern Illinois 5
In the rubber match for the series victory, the Racers offense hit its stride. Every Racer starter had a hit in the game and seven different Racers had RBIs while nine scored runs.
Down 4-2 in the fifth, the Racers had six consecutive batters reach base including back-to-back home runs by Anderson, a three-run shot and Bloomer, a solo shot. Jake Slunder capped off the inning with a grand slam, the first of his career, to put Murray State up 10-4.
Anderson and Cozart added long balls for their fifth and second multi-homer games of their careers, respectively.
Jordan Holly got in on the long-ball parade, knocking his first of the season as the Racers closed out the game, 15-5 and earned the series win.
Murray State travels to Lexington on Tuesday (Mar. 16) to take on the Kentucky Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.
We're Racer Baseball and we hit home runs ⚾️💪
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) March 17, 2021
The Racers hit a MSU record breaking seven home runs in a game. #ShoesUp | #WeAreRacers🏇 pic.twitter.com/1e5CVMus79
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DOHERTY, Cameron (2-0)
L: Gardner, Sam (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Slunder, Jake 1 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Bloomer, Bryson 1
HR: Cozart, Jordan 2 ; Booth, Tanner 1
RBI: Cozart, Jordan 5 ; Bloomer, Bryson 1 ; Booth, Tanner 2 ; McCullough, Brennan 1
SH: Perkins, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Slunder, Jake 3 ; Cozart, Jordan 2 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Bloomer, Bryson 1 ; Woosley, Trey 1 ; Booth, Tanner 2
SB: Slunder, Jake 2 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Woosley, Trey 1
Batting:
2B: EICKHOFF, Logan 3 ; DOYLE, Dalton 1
HR: SMITH, Gunner 1 ; DOYLE, Dalton 1 ; SNAPP, Ben 1
RBI: EICKHOFF, Logan 3 ; SWEENEY, Trey 1 ; SMITH, Gunner 2 ; PENA, Christian 3 ; DOYLE, Dalton 1 ; SNAPP, Ben 2 ; RADEMACHER, Chase 2
SH: DILUCA, Lucas 1 ; KERRIGAN, Keith 1 ; TOPPEL, Dane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DILUCA, Lucas 2 ; EICKHOFF, Logan 3 ; SMITH, Gunner 1 ; PENA, Christian 1 ; KERRIGAN, Keith 1 ; DOYLE, Dalton 2 ; SNAPP, Ben 1 ; RADEMACHER, Chase 2 ; TOPPEL, Dane 1
SB: EICKHOFF, Logan 1
HBP: SWEENEY, Trey 1
PO: RADEMACHER, Chase 1
