Gilmore, Pitching Sends Racers To OVC Title Game

Friday, May 13

Oxford, Ala.

1:30 p.m.

Murray State

39-15-1

Belmont

31-16

Belmont

Murray State

5/13/2022 8:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score BOX SCORE (PDF)

MSU blanks Belmont 1-0 in conference semifinals

Murray State advanced to the finals of the 2022 OVC Softball Championships with a 1-0 win over Belmont Friday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.

Fast Facts
• Sierra Gilmore scored the lone run of the game when she crushed a ball down the left field line in the bottom of the fourth. The home run was the sixth of the season for Gilmore and the 28^th of her career.

• Hannah James and Jenna Veber combined for Murray State's 19^th shutout of the season, further extending the program record. James allowed just two hits with four strikeouts over 5.0 innings for the win, while Veber notched a save by giving up no hits while also striking out four over the final two innings.

• With the win Friday, James became just the third Racer in program history to notch 20 victories in the same season. She joins Mason Robinson and CheyAnne Gaskey as the only MSU pitchers to accomplish the feat.

• The win was the 39^th of the season for the Racers, marking the most wins in a single season in program history. The previous record of 38 wins was set in the 2015 season.

• Lily Fischer was hit by a pitch for the 22^nd time this season in the game, setting a new school record in the process. The previous record of 21 was set by Ellyn Troup during the 2012 season.

• Saturday will be Murray State's second-all-time appearance in the OVC championship game. The Racers last appeared in the title game in 2014 when they fell to SIUE in an impromptu winner-take-all game that was made due to inclement weather.

What's Next
On Saturday, the Racers will play for their first ever OVC tournament championship and NCAA bid when they take on Belmont at 11 a.m. on ESPN+. Should the Racers fall in the first game, a second winner-take-all game would occur approximately 30 minutes later.