Timely Hitting Leads Racers to Series-Opening Win

Friday, April 1

Reagan Field

6 p.m.

Murray State

13-16, 4-6

Eastern Illinois

4-21, 0-7

Eastern Illinois

Murray State

Photo by: Jenny Rohl - Murray State News

4/1/2016 9:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to regain an early lead that it lost and was then able to put Eastern Illinois away with two runs in both the seventh and eighth inning as the Racers opened the series with a 9-4 victory Friday night at Reagan Field.

Timely hits with runners in scoring position was the difference in the ballgame as the Racers (13-16, 4-6 OVC) were able to get a pair of two-RBI singles up the middle in both the fifth and seventh inning, while a double to center with two outs in the eighth gave MSU even more breathing room.

Adam Bauer and Tyler Lawrence each collected three hits in the win to lead the Racers. Lawrence's double to deep center in the eighth gave him his two RBIs in the contest and lengthened the MSU lead to 9-4, while Bauer scored three runs on the night and extended his on-base streak to all 29 games this year. Kipp Moore was the other Racer at the dish to have multiple hits, going 2-of-4 with a double. Caleb Hicks and Ramsey Scott had one hit each, but both drove in two runs apiece.

Two of MSU's first three runs came via a wild pitch. Lawrence scored in the bottom of the first to put the Racers on the board first, while Bauer scored on one in the third inning. A Jack Hranec double to left was sandwiched in between those two scores in the first that scored Scott.

EIU (4-21, 0-7 OVC) would not go away quietly though, scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth. In the fifth, Scott delivered his eventual game-winning single up the gut that scored Bauer and Cody Gilbert, giving MSU a 5-4 lead. Gilbert scored two runs in the win and was phenomenal defensively in center field on the evening, recording six put outs, four of which he chased down in the gaps.

Hicks' single up the middle in the seventh pushed the Racers' lead to 7-4 before Lawrence eventually lengthened it more in the eighth. The Racers out-hit the Panthers 12-8 in the win, and allowed no extra-base hits. EIU also had a pair of errors in the game.

Jack Hranec picked up the victory as he got the start on the mound and improved his record to 3-2 on the year. Hranec pitched five-plus innings and allowed all four of the EIU runs on seven hits. Hranec walked four and struck-out four in the win. Cody Maerz pitched a sensational 3.1 innings of relief on the evening, allowing just one hit in the appearance and struck-out a season-best four batters. Andrew Bramley came on in the ninth and recorded the final two outs.

MSU and Eastern Illinois will play the middle game of its three-game series Saturday at Reagan Field. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.