Murray State University Athletics
Murray State Stretches Win Streak To Four, Tops Arkansas State
3/2/2021 9:15:00 PM | Baseball
The Racer Baseball team (5-3) beat the Arkansas State Red Wolves (0-4) on Tuesday at Johnny Reagan Field, 9-6, despite being out hit by the Red Wolves.
Eight Racers collected hits in the game and seven Racers scored at least one run. The biggest hit of course being a three-run home run by Jordan Cozart, his team-leading third dinger of the season.
For the sixth time in 2021, the opposing team scored the first run of the game. The Red Wolves scored an unearned run in the top of the second inning.
Murray State immediately responded in their half. Brock Anderson doubled to right field and scored on a Trey Woosley double to center field. Woosley came around on a RBI groundout by Brennan McCullough, to give the Racers a 2-0 lead.
Cozart stayed hot, extending his hitting streak to four games, with a three-run home run over the wall in left as the Racers stretched the lead to four in the third.
Free bases plagued the Racers all afternoon as they gave up 10 total, five walks and five hit-by-pitches. The Red Wolves used two of the hit-by-pitches and an error to cut into Murray State's lead by one in the fifth.
The Racers got out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning but not before Arkansas State plated two more runs to pull within one.
Murray State answered in the bottom half of the inning posting a three spot. Tanner Booth led off with a double to right and was pinch ran for by Alex Crump. Woosley then walked and Crump moved to third on a wild pitch to put runners on the corners. McCullough delivered his second RBI of the day, singling through the right side, advancing Woosley to third. McCullough stole second base to put two Racers in scoring position as Hudleson was clutch for the second game in a row as he singled to right center to plate both Woosley and McCullough. Â
The Red Wolves mounted a two-out rally in the seventh inning, using a walk, an error and a double to score two unearned runs and cut the Racers lead in half.
But Murray State wasn't done though, getting one run back in their half of the inning. Cozart reached on a dropped ball by the first baseman and advanced to second on the play. He moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a passed ball.
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True freshman, Cade Vernon got the first start of his career, going 3.0 innings, only allowing two hits, one run, zero earned runs and struck out one. Connor Holden came in the ninth to shut the door on Arkansas State and picked up his second save of the season.
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The Murray State pitching staff featured six different arms and only gave up two earned runs in the game.
The Racers will travel to play #1 team in the country, Arkansas in Fayetteville in a three-game series from March 5-7. This is the first time the Racers and the Razorbacks have met since 1986, where Arkansas won both games in Fayetteville. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Jake (1-0)
L: Charlton, Max (0-1)
S: Holden, Connor (2)
Batting:
2B: Hicks, Liam 1 ; Tipton, Drew 1 ; Gish, Jake 1 ; Hager. Brandon 1
RBI: Hicks, Liam 2 ; Duncan, Tyler 1 ; Culver, Sky-Lar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Klutts, Ben 1 ; Tipton, Drew 1 ; Gish, Jake 1 ; Hager. Brandon 2 ; Ulmer, Brandon 1
CS: Gish, Jake 1
HBP: Hicks, Liam 1 ; Klutts, Ben 2 ; Duncan, Tyler 1 ; Culver, Sky-Lar 1

Batting:
2B: Anderson, Brock 1 ; Booth, Tanner 1 ; Woosley, Trey 1
HR: Cozart, Jordan 1
RBI: Cozart, Jordan 3 ; Woosley, Trey 1 ; McCullough, Brennan 2 ; Hudleson, David 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Slunder, Jake 1 ; Perkins, Ryan 1 ; Cozart, Jordan 2 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Crump, Alex 1 ; Woosley, Trey 2 ; McCullough, Brennan 1
SB: Crump, Alex 1 ; McCullough, Brennan 1
HBP: Crump, Alex 1