Racers Hold Off Gamecocks

Sunday, April 10

Jacksonville, Ala.

1 p.m.

Murray State

16-19, 6-9

Jacksonville State

21-10, 11-1

Murray State

Jacksonville State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

4/10/2016 5:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State got a great outing from starter Ryan Dills and scored the first six runs of the ball game, as the Racers were able to survive a furious Jacksonville State rally on Sunday for a 6-5 win in the series finale.

Dills pitched 5.1 shutout innings, striking-out seven batters and allowing just three hits on his way to his second victory of the season. Brandon Hicks was able to finally close the door for MSU (16-19, 6-9 OVC) in the ninth to record his first save of the season.

Trailing 6-4, the Gamecocks (21-10, 11-1 OVC) got a bloop single to fall in shallow center field from Taylor Hawthrone to make it 6-5. However, Hawthrone got greedy on the play, saw that no one was covering second base for the Racers and tried advancing on the play. Adam Bauer was able to make the throw in to Ramsey Scott from shallow left center field and Scott tagged out Hawthrone on the play to end the game.

MSU go on the board with a two-run fourth inning. The first of Caleb Hicks' two RBIs started the scoring as his single to right field scored Tyler Lawrence after a leadoff double from the Racers' catcher. Two batters later, Jack Hranec delivered a two-out RBI-single to left center, scoring Hicks and putting MSU up 2-0.

After Nick Moore's sacrifice squeeze scored Kipp Moore from third in the seventh, the Racers grabbed a 3-0 advantage. MSU was then able to add the insurance runs it needed with a three-run top of the eighth. Lawrence's second double of the game, this time down the left field line, brought home Bauer to make it 4-0. Hicks and Tyler Dixon were able to record RBI singles later in the inning to make it 6-0 heading to the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom half of the eighth, the Gamecocks were able to make things interesting with four runs in the inning. Tyler Anderson was able to close the eighth with back-to-back strikeouts to end the JSU threat.

Hicks and Hranec led MSU at the plate going 3-for-4 each while Hicks also added two runs to go along with his two ribbies. Lawrence was 2-for-5 on the day with a pair of runs as well. The Racers collected 11 hits in the win while the Gamecocks had seven, including no extra-base hits while MSU had three doubles. JSU also left nine runners on base compared to MSU's six.

MSU returns to action with a pair of non-conference contests against Evansville and Saint Louis. The Purple Aces come to Reagan Field Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest.