Murray State Mounts Massive Comeback In Series Finale

Saturday, May 4

Springfield, Mo.

2 p.m.

Murray State

30-18, 11-10

Missouri State

19-28, 8-13

Murray State

Missouri State

5/4/2024 7:12:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Racers scored six of their 12 runs in the last two innings to erase a 9-3 deficit.

By: Drew Parsley

The Racers secured the series win over the Missouri State Bears on Sunday, 12-11 in 10 innings, at Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri.

After Taylor Howell put Murray State on the board with a solo homer in the second, the Racers faced a deficit early on in Sunday's series finale when the Bears scored seven unanswered runs in the second, third and fourth innings.

Murray State added two in the fifth on a Drew Vogel RBI single and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Dustin Mercer, but Missouri State answered back with two of their own on an RBI single in the home half of the inning.

Entering the sixth inning down 9-3, the Racers made their way back into the game with an RBI single from Riley Hawthorne in the sixth followed by back-to-back home runs from Parker Estes and Vogel to make it just a three-run gap.

With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, Carson Garner delivered a two-run single before Jonathan Hogart tied the game 9-9 with an RBI knock on the first pitch of his at-bat. The Racers added three more runs in the 10th on a three-run blast for Estes' second long ball of the afternoon.

The Bears scored two in the bottom of the 10th on a base hit and a sacrifice fly, but a strikeout by Jacob Hustedde for the final out closed the door and gave the Racers the series road win.

With Murray State's four home runs on Sunday, the Racers now hold the single-season record the most team home runs in program history with 86 long balls through just 48 games this season. The record had held since the 2011 team belted 84 homers.

Vogel posted a 4-for-6 day with a double and a home run while scoring two runs and delivering a pair of RBIs. Estes went 3-for-3 at the plate off the bench, scoring three runs and driving in four RBIs on a pair of home runs. Garner extended his reached-base streak to 10 games.

Ryan Fender earned his first career win out of the bullpen, tossing four innings allowing just one run on one hit, three walks and punching out four Missouri State batters. Hustedde picked up his first collegiate save after pitching the 10th inning and striking out the last batter of the game to get the win.

Murray State travels to Oxford, Mississippi for a midweek tilt with the Ole Miss Rebels at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 8 at Swayze Field before hosting Valparaiso May 10-12 for their final home conference series of the season.

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