Racers Fall to Redbirds in Extra-Innings Thriller

Sunday, May 4

Murray, KY

12 p.m.

Murray State

21-27, 11-16

Illinois State

23-29, 16-11

Redbirds

Murray State

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

5/4/2025 4:23:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

MSU Returns for MVC Championship

By: Charlie Williams

The Murray State Racers (21-27, 11-16 MVC) fell to the Illinois State Redbirds (23-29, 17-11 MVC) 8-5 in 11 innings at Racer Field in Murray, Ky. on Sunday afternoon.

The Racers finish the regular season ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings while the Redbirds finish in fourth. Murray State will be matched up against eighth-seed Drake in the opening game of the MVC Softball Championship.

The Racers came out of the gates on fire, putting up four runs in the bottom of the opening inning. Parker Holcombe was responsible for the opening run of the game, scoring Katy Huels on an RBI single to center field. Later in the inning, Ailey Schych added an RBI single of her own, and Holcombe scored on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Jestadt. Hannah Sutton made it 4-0 with an RBI double that scored Schyck.

The Redbirds were unable to answer until the fifth inning when Bella Wilkerson broke through with an RBI double. Abby Knight added two more with a double of her own that cut the Racer lead to 4-3 entering the sixth. In the sixth, Addison Masching doubled to center field, scoring Julia Larson and tying the game 4-4. Neither team was able to add a run in the seventh inning, sending the game into extras.

After a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, the Redbirds finally scored in the tenth. Addison Masching drove in Julia Larson to give Illinois State its first lead of the game. However, the Racers were not done as Ailey Schyck tied it in the bottom of the tenth with an RBI double down the left field line to score Murray State's first run since the opening inning and tie the game 5-5.

Illinois State took the lead once again in the 11th inning as Abby Knight, Lexie Griffin, and Julia Larson each recorded an RBI to give the Redbirds an 8-5 lead. This time the Racers could not respond, going scoreless in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

Three different Racers had multiple hits on the day, as Katy Huels and Ailey Schyck both went 3-5 and Schyck added two RBI. Hannah Sutton went 2-5 with an RBI, and Parker Holcombe and Bailey Broemmer each added a hit. Holcombe, Sutton, and Riley Jestadt each had one RBI.

Karlye Graber (8-10) was the losing pitcher after pitching six innings in relief. The freshman allowed eight hits and four earned runs while issuing two walks and two strikeouts. Starter Raylee Roby pitched four and one-third innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs while walking one and striking out two. Bre Haislip pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief of Roby and allowed two hits and an earned run.

Hannah Meshnick (12-10) pitched all 11 innings for the Redbirds, throwing 160 total pitches. She allowed ten hits and five earned runs while walking two and striking out eight. Seven different Redbirds had multiple hits as Addison Masching and Julia Larson had three each.

The Racers will return on Wednesday, May 7, at 10 a.m. CT for the opening game of the Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship. The Racers will face the Drake Bulldogs on their home field, Buel Field, in Des Moines, Iowa.

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