Racers Get Home Series Sweep Over Valparaiso

Sunday, May 12

Murray, Ky.

1 p.m.

Murray State

34-18, 0

Valparaiso

14-34, 0

Valparaiso

Murray State

5/12/2024 8:09:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Drew Vogel hit his 20th home run in his fifth-straight game with a home run.

By: Drew Parsley

The Racers completed the sweep of the Valparaiso Beacons on Sunday, winning by a score of 12-3 at Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky. With Sunday's win, the Racers extend their winning streak to five games.

With the Racers' win on Sunday, they are now just one away from tying the most in a single season under head coach Dan Skirka.

The Beacons scored first in the series finale in the first inning with a two-run home run. In the home half, Drew Vogel belted his 20th home run of the season on a 2-2 count to lead off for the Racers. It was the redshirt junior's fifth-straight game with a home run and third-straight with a leadoff home run.

With his 20th home run, Vogel is just two home runs shy of tying the single-season program record and is the first Racer since 2010 to record 20 home runs in a season. He joins Wes Cunningham, who set the program record at 22 home runs in 2010, as the only two players in school history with 20 homers.

Dustin Mercer tied the game at 2-2 in the third with a solo shot for his ninth home run of the season. Dan Tauken put the Racers out front with his own solo homer in the fourth before extending MSU's lead to two runs with an RBI base hit in the fifth.

Parker Estes drove in a pair of runs in the fifth on a base hit to center field to make it a 6-2 game heading into the sixth. Jonathan Hogart then gave Murray State its largest lead of the day with his 11th home run of the year, making it a 7-2 game in the sixth.

Valparaiso plated a run in the eighth with their own solo home run before the Racers added five more in the home frame on an RBI base hit from Hogart, followed by a two-run double from Tauken and a two-run triple off the left-center wall from Ethan Krizen.

Bryce Valero moved to 2-3 on the year, earning the win out of the bullpen after tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings allowing one hit, three walks and recording four strikeouts. Thomas Mcnabb earned his third save of the year, allowing just one run on two hits, two walks with three strikeouts through 2 1/3 innings.

The Racers host Alabama A&M for their regular-season home finale on Tuesday, May 14 at 4 p.m. CT.

For more information on the Murray State baseball program, visit GoRacers.com or @RacersBaseball on Instagram and X.