Racers Roll Past Butler In Mardi Gras Opener

Friday, February 17

Mobile, Ala.

2:30 p.m.

Murray State

5-1

Butler

3-3

Butler

Murray St.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

2/17/2017 4:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score BOX SCORE (PDF)SEASON STATS (PDF)

The Murray State softball team started play at the 2017 Mardi Gras Invitational with a win by taking down Butler, 9-1, in five innings Friday at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Alabama.

The Racers got things rolling in the first by loading up the bases with the first three batters. Murray State then jumped out to a 4-0 lead on RBI-singles from seniors Taylor Odom, Jocelynn Rodgers and Cayla Levins and an error by the Bulldogs.

With the bases still loaded, sophomore Brenna Finck stepped to the plate for the second time in the stanza and belted a ball down the left field line. Finck was tagged out at the plate trying to stretch the triple into a home run, but not before the bases cleared and Murray State extended its lead to 7-0.

In the fourth, Finck scored on another Bulldog error and Odom scored Kaylee Ranburger on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 9-0. In the top of the fifth, Butler finally broke up senior Mason Robinson's no-hit bid with a one-out single from Cheyenne Robinson and eventually scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch. However, in the next play the Racers turned a double play to end the inning and the game via the eight-run rule at 9-1 after 4.5 innings of play.

Finck led Murray State by going 2-for-2 in the game with two runs, three RBIs and a hit by pitch, while Levins was also 2-for-2 with a run and a RBI. Robinson moved to 4-0 on the season with the one-hit performance by allowing just one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts.

Murray State will return to play in Mobile Saturday with games against Jackson State at 9 a.m. and host South Alabama at 2 p.m.