Racers Walk Off Midweek Non-Conference Game versus Belmont

Wednesday, May 5

Murray, KY

4 p.m.

Murray State

23-20

Belmont

20-22

Belmont

Murray State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Racers Walk Off Midweek Non-Conference Game versus Belmont

5/5/2021 9:44:00 PM | Baseball

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Murray State walked off in 12 innings against Belmont, 4-3

The Murray State Racers (23-20, 12-9 OVC) won their first extra-inning game of the season, a twelve-inning affair over the Belmont Bruins (20-22, 12-12 OVC) on Wednesday in Murray, Kentucky.

The game does not count towards the Ohio Valley Conference standings and was treated as a non-conference mid-week contest.

The Racers collected eight hits and six walks, three intentional in the game as Jake Slunder led with two hits, improving his average to .324.

In the first inning, Brock Anderson took over solo control as the OVC's home run leader with his 14th long ball of the season, giving the Racers an early 1-0 lead.

Belmont evened the game at one in the third but Murray State immediately regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Jordan Holly hit a dribbler down the third base line for an infield single and came around to score on an RBI double from Jake Slunder that the diving Bruin right fielder could not come up with.

The game went scoreless through the next three innings until the Bruins tied the game on a RBI single from John Behrends in the seventh.

Belmont took a 3-2 lead the next inning playing small ball. After a leadoff single, the Bruins sac bunted the runner over to second and he moved to third on a wild pitch. An RBI single gave Belmont their first lead of the game.

Down to their final three outs, Murray State took advantage of two Bruin errors in the inning to send the game to extras. Trey Woosley grounded to first but an errant toss allowed him to reach base. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and Riley Hawthorne came on to pinch run for him. With two outs, David Hudleson grounded to the third baseman who overthrew it to first. Hawthorne scored on the play to tie the game at three and force extras.

The Racers threatened with runners on base in all three extra innings but were finally able to push one across in the twelfth. Ryan Perkins walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a failed pick-off attempt by the Bruins pitcher, who threw the ball into the right field foul territory. The Bruins then intentionally walked the next two Racers batters to load the bases with nobody out. The intentional walks didn't matter as Perkins scored on a wild pitch for the Racers third walk-off victory of the season.

It was pitching staff game as eighteen different pitchers were used between the two teams. The Racer utilized eight arms in the game while the Bruins used ten.

Malik Pogue, who pitched the final two innings of the game, earned his first career win as a Racer.

Murray State remains at home this weekend (May 7-8) as they host UT Martin in a doubleheader beginning on Friday at 2 p.m. and single game on Saturday. Time is TBD.