Racers Open Six-Game Homestand with Weekend Series Against Tennessee Tech

Dates: April 9^th (1/3 PM), April 10^th (3 PM)
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: goracers.com/coverage
MSU Record (Streak): 14-21, 11-8 OVC (Lost 6)
Racers All-Time vs. Tennessee Tech: 14-12
Tennessee Tech Record (Streak): 13-17, 7-9 OVC (Lost 6)
MSU Next Game: April 17^th vs. Belmont
MSU Next Home Game: Same

Murray State softball returns home after five-straight road contests to host Tennessee Tech in a three-game series at Racer Field. This will mark the start of a six-game homestand for the Racers, with a Friday doubleheader preceding a single Saturday contest on the weekend. All three games will stream live on ESPN+ with live stats available on goracers.com.

All-Time Series:
The Racers and Golden Eagles have met 26 times with the Racers holding the all-time series with a 14-12 record in those contests. Murray State got the best of Tennessee State in the last meetings as the Racers swept a 2019 doubleheader in Murray, blanking TTU in both contests with scores of 5-0 and 1-0.

A Look at the Racers:
The Racers opened the OVC campaign on a tear as they jumped out to an 11-3 start to conference action, but have since hit a wall – dropping five straight in the OVC and six straight overall. Don't be fooled by the recent streak, however, as Murray State has come up short in several extremely close games as of late. Two of the losses came in ten-inning affairs, while another was decided by just a single run in a 1-0 defeat to close the series against Jacksonville State.

The Racers are batting .261 against OVC foes, and have outscored conference opponents 77-71 on the year. Logan Braundmeier (.369), Sierra Gilmore (.339), Lindsey Carroll (.310), and Jensen Striegel (.302) are all eclipsing the .300 clip at the plate in OVC contests, while Braundmeier has scored a team-high 22 runs through all contests in 2021. Gilmore, Braundmeier, and Lily Fischer have each belted three home runs this season, while Gilmore has driven in a team-best 24 runs in the campaign. The Racers have also stolen 44 bases in 52 attempts this season, with Striegel (14) and Braundmeier (11) each swiping double-digits bases thus far.

The Racer pitching staff carries a 2.52 ERA through all games in 2021, and have held hitters to a .248 clip entering the weekend. Jenna Veber's 2.32 ERA paces the staff while her 49 strikeouts to just seven walks is good for a 7.00 K/BB ratio that ranks 23^rd in the nation. She has also registered four saves on the year. Hannah James (2.47 ERA) has recorded a team-high 102 strikeouts through 99.1 innings, while opposing hitters have managed just a .204 average against her. Taylor Makowsky rounds out an impressive trio with four wins in the circle to pair with a 3.16 ERA.

Scouting Tennessee Tech:
The Golden Eagles also enter the weekend on a six-game losing streak after getting swept by Jacksonville State and Austin Peay in their most recent outings. With a 13-17 record overall and a 7-9 mark against conference foes, TTU sits in eighth place in the OVC standings.

Batting .260 as a team, TTU is averaging 3.6 runs per contest while surrendering 4.33 to opponents. Beth McCulley leads the way offensively, posting .342 average through all competitions on the year. Six Golden Eagles have driven in ten or more runs this season, led by Nicolle Nysted's 17. She has also supplied most of the power with a team-high six round-trippers in 2021. Mackenzie Fitzgerald has also seen success this season at the plate, driving in 15 runs and scoring 13 more, while Jessie Lowery has recorded 14 RBI to pair with 15 runs scored. Fitzgerald has also been efficient on the base paths, swiping 13 bases in 13 attempts on the year.

The Golden Eagle pitching staff, which carries a 3.71 ERA, is led by Alyssa Arden (7-9, 3.33 ERA) whose 69 strikeouts leads the team. She is holding opponents to a .219 average at the dish. Haeli Bryson has also been effective in the circle with a 3.24 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 56 innings.

Notes/Upcoming Milestones

With two stolen bases in the first game against Austin Peay on Tuesday, Jensen Striegel passed Shelbey Miller's (2013-16) 41 to move into third in program history with 42 stolen career stolen bases. She needs eight more to tie Mo Ramsey's (2012-15) 50 for the #2 spot on Murray State's all-time stolen base list.

The Racers are 7-1 when they score a run in the first inning

Fifth-year senior Lexi Jones needs just one more home run to break into the top five on Murray State's all-time home runs list. Her 24 career round-trippers currently sits one behind Casey Castile's 25 for fifth-most in Racer history. Castile played for MSU from 2012-14.

With three RBI in Tuesday's doubleheader against Austin Peay, Sierra Gilmore passed Jenna Bradley's (2010-11) 105 RBI to move into fifth on Murray State's all-time RBI list with 108 in a Racer uniform. She needs two more to tie Maggie Glass' (2014-17) 110 for fourth-most in Murray State history.

With 102 strikeouts on the year, junior Hannah James owns sole possession of the #4 spot on the program's all-time strikeout list with 272 total in a Racer uniform. Her 22 career wins are also sixth-most in Racer history as she chases Chelsey Sullivan's (2010-12) 27 to move into the top five. She also needs just 47 strikeouts in 2021 to set the Murray State single-season strikeout record that is currently held by CheyAnne Gaskey.

Murray State's 2-1 defeat to Tennessee State in 16 innings on March 26th marked the longest game in Murray State history, and also served as the longest contest in the OVC dating back to at least 2013. The one-of-a-kind competition is also the longest game of the season in NCAA Division-I, outlasting a 15-inning contest between Wisconsin and Ohio State on March 11^th. Hannah James also set a new Murray State single-game record for innings pitched as she dealt 10.1 scoreless frames, striking out seven while allowing just three hits without issuing a single walk in the outing.

Sierra Gilmore has posted 11 multi-hit games on the year to lead the Racers in that category, while her and Lily Fischer have also produced six multi-RBI performances.

Murray State University Athletics

Racers Open Six-Game Homestand with Weekend Series Against Tennessee Tech

Players Mentioned

Logan Braundmeier

Lindsey Carroll

Casey Castile

Lily Fischer

CheyAnne Gaskey

Sierra Gilmore

Hannah James

Lexi Jones

Taylor Makowsky

Shelbey Miller

Mo Ramsey

Jensen Striegel

Jenna Veber

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