Murray State
Southern Illinois
Racers Drop 4-2 Decision At Southern Illinois
5/1/2012 3:43:00 PM | Softball
Errors proved costly for both teams Tuesday night, but Southern Illinois broke a 2-2 stalemate with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Racers 4-2 at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.
The Salukis pieced together three straight hits to start out the bottom of the first, scoring a run on a bunt single by Taylor Orsburn that rolled through the infield, allowing Mallory Duran to score from second. SIU added a second run as a fielding error at second on a ground ball scored Kelsea Ashton from third, but Orsburn would be thrown out at the plate attempting to score for the third out.
Murray State (29-17) would get the offense going in the top of the fifth as Christian Cox led off the inning with the team's second hit of the day on an infield single. Ellyn Troup joined her on base after taking a pitch off of her foot, advancing Cox to second with nobody out.
Megan Glosser reached safely as SIU pitcher Alyssa Wunderlich threw the ball away at first, allowing Glosser to advance to second as Troup moved to third and Cox scored on the play.
Mo Ramsey beat out a bunt single down the third base line as Troup advanced on the throw, sliding in to home and avoiding the tag to tie the game at 2-2.
Southern Illinois (33-16) would double its score in the bottom of the sixth, scoring one on a Kalyn Harker pinch hit single to left field. Harker would be thrown out attempting to advance to second, but scored Kalyn Harker from third on the play to take a 3-2 lead.
The Salukis added an insurance run on a dropped fly ball to score Alicia Junker, increasing its lead to 4-2 after six.
CheyAnne Gaskey dropped her third decision of the season, falling to 8-3 on the year. She was charged with just one earned run in six outings, giving up eight hits and three walks while striking out seven in the outing.
Brittney Lang earned the win out of the bullpen, improving to 10-4 on the year. Entering in the sixth with two on and no one out, she recorded six straight outs to end the game, striking out two.
The loss ended the Racers' nine game win streak, the longest in the history of the three year old program.
Murray State returns to action Wednesday, traveling to Columbia, Mo., for an afternoon doubleheader against 10th-ranked Missouri. Game one is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.
