Murray State University Athletics
Gardner Solid, Racers Power Over SEMO on Senior Day
4/10/2021 9:58:00 PM | Baseball
Murray State defeated SEMO, 11-6 on 2021 Senior Day
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Graduate transfer RHP Sam Gardner earned his first victory of the year, throwing 6.2 strong innings, allowing only two earned runs to go with seven strikeouts.Â
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The Racers scored in all but two innings, posting eleven runs on eleven hits. They hit three home runs on a gusty day at Reagan Field.
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The eight, nine and one hitters in the Racers lineup, Seth Gardner, Jordan Holly and Jake Slunder all finished the game with a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs.Â
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Jordan Cozart gave the Racers an early lead in the first, hitting his 12th home run of the year, six of which have come in the first inning.
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SEMO's Wade Stauss matched Cozart's long ball with one of his own in the second to tie it at one.
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Murray State regained the lead on Slunder's solo shot in the third for his third homer of the season.
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In the next inning, MSU loaded the bases with no outs and two runs came home on Seth Gardner's found the hole on the left side for a two-RBI single.
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The Redhawk's used a two-out error to score four unearned runs in the fifth and take a 5-4 lead.
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Bryson Bloomer evened the game with a double off the wall in left, scoring Brock Anderson.
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Murray State's offense kept rolling from there, adding three in the sixth and three in the seventh, capped by a home run from Jordan Holly to insure a win on Senior Day as the Racers went on to take it 11-6.
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Alec Whaley came in with two outs in the seventh and closed out the final 2.1 innings for his second save of the season. Whaley allowed only one hit, no runs and struck out three.
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The Racers remain home for a midweek contest on Tuesday (Apr. 13) versus Kentucky State. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Johnny Reagan Field.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gardner, Sam (1-4)
L: GROSSIUS, Bryce (1-1)
S: Whaley, Alec (2)
Batting:
2B: WILBER, Tyler 1 ; KECK, Andrew 1 ; BASLER, Connor 1
HR: WILBER, Tyler 1 ; STAUSS, Wade 1
RBI: WILBER, Tyler 2 ; WRIGHT, Danny 1 ; KECK, Andrew 2 ; STAUSS, Wade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MASON, Jevon 1 ; WILBER, Tyler 2 ; WRIGHT, Danny 1 ; STAUSS, Wade 1 ; BASLER, Connor 1
HBP: WRIGHT, Danny 1
PO: MASON, Jevon 1

Batting:
2B: Bloomer, Bryson 1
HR: Slunder, Jake 1 ; Cozart, Jordan 1 ; Holly, Jordan 1
RBI: Slunder, Jake 2 ; Cozart, Jordan 1 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Bloomer, Bryson 1 ; Gardner, Seth 2 ; Holly, Jordan 2
SF: Anderson, Brock 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Slunder, Jake 1 ; Cozart, Jordan 1 ; Anderson, Brock 1 ; Bloomer, Bryson 1 ; Perkins, Ryan 1 ; Schad, Wes 2 ; Gardner, Seth 2 ; Holly, Jordan 2
PO: Gardner, Seth 1