Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Eastern Kentucky
Three Home Run Night From Bradley Helps Racers To Friday Sweep Over EKU
4/22/2011 10:08:17 PM | Softball
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Jenna Bradley had three of Murray State's six home runs Friday, including a third inning grand slam in the second game of the day as the Racers swept Eastern Kentucky 12-4 (5 innings) and 9-7 Friday afternoon in a pair of Ohio Valley Conference contests at Racer Field.
Bradley put the Racers ahead in the first inning of the opener, singling to score Taylor Wilson and Megan Glosser with no outs.
MSU (19-23, 10-13 OVC) added three more in the second, starting off with a pair of runs as Stephanie Mattocks and Stephanie Edwards scored on a throwing error as EKU attempted to get a force out at third and threw the ball away on a low throw to the third baseman. After Edwards advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, Glosser drove her in with a ground out to the second baseman to put the Racers up 5-0.
The Colonels came back in the top of the third, scoring three runs after a dropped fly ball with two outs allowed a runs to score and extended the inning. Ashley Dollans took advantage with a double down the right field line to score both runners and cut the Racer advantage to two.
MSU got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the frame on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded off the bat of Edwards to lead 6-3.
Eastern Kentucky made it 6-4 in the top of the fifth, singling in a run with two outs .
The Racers ended the game in their half of the inning, scoring six times while only recording one out. Bradley led off the bottom of the fifth with her first home run of the game, a deep drive down the line to left for their seventh run of the game.
Lauren Buch was hit by a pitch and Ellyn Troup and Leslie Bridges walked to load the bases with nobody out. Mattocks singled up the middle to score Buch and Troup and increase the MSU lead to 7-4. Meghan Sims followed two batters later with her second home run of the season, a three run blast off the scoreboard in left center to end the game and give the Racers a 12-4 game one victory.
Shelby Kosmecki picked up her eighth win of the season, allowing five hits and five walks in five innings pitched. She struck out eight batters for the second straight game and forced Eastern Kentucky to leave seven runners stranded.
The Racers had to fight back in game two after the Colonels jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the top of the second. Raquel Howes homered to drive in a pair in the first and Dollins homered to lead off the second. EKU pieced together three more hits and a pair of walks to score three more runs in the inning.
Murray State came back with a furious rally in the bottom of the third. Edwards singled to lead off the inning, Wilson walked and Glosser reached on a fielder's choice that left everyone on base safe. Bradley came up and cleared the bases on her second home run of the day, a deep, towering grand slam to left field. Lauren Buch followed with a line drive home run to right center to go back-to-back and pull the Racers to within one.
Sims came up to lead off the Racer fourth, homering for the second time on the day to tie the game at 6-6. Later in the inning, Buch singled on a hard-hit comebacker that hit off the EKU pitcher and deflected towards right field to score Glosser from third as MSU took its first lead of the game at 7-6.
Bradley homered again in the bottom of the sixth for the third time of the night, scoring Glosser after she walked to lead off the inning and put the Racers up 9-7.
EKU(21-25, 8-18 OVC) threatened in the top of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate with one out. The Colonels were only able to score one on a single to center before grounding out to MSU pitcher Madysen Wilton to end the game.
Wilton entered the game in the third and picked up her second win of the season. She held Eastern Kentucky to one run on five hits and four walks, striking out five in her longest outing of the season.
Bradley led MSU with an impressive nine RBI in the doubleheader, getting hits in five of her seven at bats and scoring three times. Sims drove in four on the night, scoring three times with Glosser scoring four runs and five Racers scoring twice.
The doubleheader win put the Racers half a game out of sixth place in the OVC, sitting a win behind Morehead State for the final spot into the OVC Championship after the Eagles split with Tennessee Tech earlier in the day.
Murray State looks to earn the sweep Saturday afternoon, closing out the series with EKU at 1 p.m.
