Racers Open MVC Era With UNI at Home

Dates (Times): Fri., Mar. 17 (2 p.m.) [DH]; Sat. Mar. 18 (2 p.m.)
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)
Opponent: UNI
TV: ESPN+ (Fri. PxP: Harold Huston; Sat. PxP: Todd Hamilton)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MUR Record (Streak): 15-9 (Won 1)
WIU Record (Streak): 11-9 (Won 1)
Overall (Streak): UNI leads 2-1 (Lost 1)
In Murray (Streak): UNI leads 1-0 (Lost 1)
In Cedar Falls (Streak): Series tied 1-1 (Lost 1)
At Neutral Sites (Streak): --- (---)
Last 5 vs. UNI: 1-2 (LWL--)
First Meeting: L 7-10 [9] (3/10/19 at MUR)
Last Meeting: L 2-7 (2/8/20 at UNI)
Biggest MSU Win: 2 Runs (W 3-1; 2/7/20 at UNI)
Biggest MSU Loss: 6 Runs (L 2-7; 2/8/20 at UNI)
Next Game: Mar. 22 vs. Belmont
Next Home Game: Mar. 22 vs. Belmont

In A Nutshell
The Murray State softball team opens its inaugural Missouri Valley Conference schedule against UNI this weekend at Racer Field. The two teams will play a doubleheader Friday beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a single game Saturday that will also begin at 2 p.m.

Series At A Glance
Friday will be the fourth meeting between UNI and Murray State and the first as MVC opponents. UNI bested the Racers in 2019 in extra innings in Murray as part of the Racer Classic in the first meeting between the two teams. A year later the two teams split a pair of games in Cedar Falls at the 2020 Doc Halverson UNI Dome Tournament.

Scouting The Panthers
UNI is 11-9 on the season after going 3-2 at last week's Tulsa Invitational with a sweep of Sam Houston and a 1-2 mark against the Golden Hurricane. Hannah Kelly currently leads the Panthers with a .370 batting average, while Alexis Pupillo leads the team in RBIs with 15. Preseason All-MVC selection Kailyn Packard leads UNI in the circle with a 4-3 record, a 2.38 ERA and 58 strikeouts, while Samantha Heyer follows at 6-4 with a 2.90 ERA and 88 strikeouts.

Notes

Erin Lackey led off the bottom of the first Wednesday with a single to right field. Three batters later, Lily Fischer brought herself and Lackey home with her second home run of the season, this one to left center, to make it 2-0.
Three different Racers pitchers took part in the shutout win with Ava Ozment starting the game by allowing no runs on three hits with a strikeout and a walk. Jenna Veber (9-2) earned the win for the Racers by allowing no runs on no hits over 2.1 innings of work, while Hannah James also allowed no runs on no hits over the final frame to grab her third save of the season.
Bailey Broemmer safely reached base in each of her three plate appearances Wednesday by going 2-for-2 with a hit by pitch.
Lily Fischer extended her current streak of games in which she has reached base safely to 11 Wednesday. The junior did so in grand fashion against Western Illinois when he homered in the first inning.
Murray State and UNI will enter the weekend's series at 141 and 142, respectively, in the latest NCAA DI RPI. Southern Illinois currently boasts the highest RPI in the Missouri Valley at 52.
Murray State pitchers are currently striking out 3.98 batters for every batter walked this season, a number that ranks them 15th in strikeout-to-walk ratio nationally. Individually, Hannah James is 21s in the nation in the category, as she currently has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 9.1:1.

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Players Mentioned

Bailey Broemmer

Lily Fischer

Hannah James

Erin Lackey

Ava Ozment

Jenna Veber

Murray State University Athletics