Racers Take Both Ends of Saturday Doubleheader to Earn Series Win Over UT Martin

Saturday, March 6

Martin, Tenn.

1 P.M.

Murray State

4-12, 1-1

UT Martin

7-3, 1-1

Murray State

UT Martin

Photo by: Dan Hasko - Murray State Athletics

Racers Take Both Ends of Saturday Doubleheader to Earn Series Win Over UT Martin

3/6/2021 9:57:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Box Score (Game 1)PDF Box Score (Game 2)

Murray State earns two victories behind 18 combined hits in the two games

Murray State softball continued its weekend series on the road at UT Martin on Saturday, clashing with the Skyhawks for an afternoon doubleheader at Bettye Giles Field. The Racers swept the doubleheader to win their first conference series of 2021 behind 18 combined hits over the two games - earning 3-0 and 10-3 victories in Martin, Tennessee.

Game 1 – Murray State 3, UT Martin 0
Logan Braundmeier gave the Racers a 1-0 lead in the first at-bat of the afternoon when the senior from Aviston, Illinois belted a solo shot to left field in the opening frame.

UT Martin had a chance to answer back in the bottom of the second with runners on second and third with just one out, but freshman catcher Taylor Jackson picked off the Skyhawk base runner at third to record the second out of the inning before Taylor Makowsky pitched out of the jam without surrendering a run.

While both sides traded hits throughout the ballgame, the score line would remain unchanged until the Racers added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Logan Braundmeier drew a walk and later stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error by the Skyhawk catcher, before coming around to score via sacrifice fly off the bat of Jensen Striegel. Lily Fischer and Sierra Gilmore then doubled in back-to-back at-bats as the Racers owned a 3-0 lead through the visiting half of the final inning.

The Skyhawks did put runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom half, but Jenna Veber would enter the circle to close the door on the UT Martin comeback effort to earn the save and secure a 3-0 Racer victory.

Makowsky made her first start of 2021 in the circle for the Racers, earning the win behind six and one-third shutout innings to pair with three strikeouts on the day.

The three Racer runs came from eight hits, with seven different players collecting a hit in the contest.

Sierra Gilmore (2-4, RBI, R, 2B) led the way with two hits, while the Logan Braundmeier (1-3, RBI, R, BB, HR, SB) home run is her second of the season.

Game 2 – Murray State 10, UT Martin 3
The Racers carried the momentum into the second game of the day, staying aggressive at the plate right out of the gate as they opened the scoring in the first with a two-out RBI single from Lindsey Carroll that scored Lily Fischer.

UT Martin would bring the game level in the home half of the second though, when Maddi Long scored on a Kallie Pickens one-out double to tie the game at 1-1 through two complete.

The ballgame wouldn't stay tied for long though, as Murray State took complete control of the contest in the next half inning when they exploded for nine runs in the third behind seven Racer hits.

Sierra Gilmore, Lindsey Carroll, Lexi Jones, and Lilly Fischer all drove in runs as the Racers batted 12 times in the frame to claim a 10-1 advantage through the visiting half of the third.

The Skyhawks got one back in the home half, and later kept the game alive in the fifth when a two-out blooper from Kaci Fuller pushed across a run to avoid a mercy-rule ending to make it 10-3 through five innings of action.

Hannah James retired the last seven batters in order to preserve the 10-3 victory as the Racers took two of three from the Skyhawks on the weekend to earn a series win to open OVC competition.

James tossed five innings in relief to earn the win, tying a season high with eight strikeouts while surrendering just one run on two hits in the circle.

As a team, the Racers posted a season-high 10 hits in the winning effort, with seven individuals once again collecting at least one.

Lindsey Carroll posted a three-hit performance, driving in three while scoring one of her own, while Braundmeier also turned in a multi-hit outing - collecting two hits while drawing a walk and scoring a pair in the Racer triumph.

The Racers will be back in action on Saturday when they make their home debut against Eastern Kentucky in a doubleheader that kicks off a three-game weekend series with the Colonels at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky. Saturday's first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.