Racers Split Pair Of Extra-Inning Games With TTU

Friday, April 14

Racer Field

1 p.m.

Murray State

28-14, 0

Tennessee Tech

14-24, 0

Tennessee Tech

Murray St.

Photo by: Patti Twaddle

4/14/2017 7:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 GAME ONE BOX SCORE (PDF)GAME TWO BOX SCORE (PDF)SEASON STATS (PDF)

The Murray State softball team split a pair of extra-inning games with Tennessee Tech Friday at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky, after the Golden Eagles rallied in the seventh to force extras in each contest. The Racers fell in opener, 3-2, but picked up the 3-2 win in the finale.

Game 1 – Tennessee Tech 3, Murray St. 2 (8 Inn.)
Neither team could get any offense going until the fifth, when Cayla Levins led off with a double. Two batters later, Levins made it 1-0 when she was scored from third on a sacrifice by Lexi Jones.

The 1-0 lead held until the seventh when, down to their last strike, Tennessee Tech tied the game at one on a double from Cal Griffin. After the Racers did not score in the bottom of the seventh, Tennessee Tech took a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth, on a sacrifice fly from Gabby LaSala and a RBI-single from Leigh Ellen Thomas.

In the bottom of the eighth, Brenna Finck tripled to score Erika Downey, who reached on a single, to cut the lead in half and pull MSU within one at 3-2. However, despite the game-tying run being at third, MSU was unable to being Finck home and fell, 3-2.

Erika Downey led Murray State in the opener by going 3-for-3, accounting for exactly half of MSU's six hits in the contest. Mason Robinson took the loss for the Racers, after giving up three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 7.1 innings. Haven Campbell had a successful relief outing, getting the only batter she faced to ground into a double play.

Game 2 – Murray St. 3, Tennessee Tech 2 (8 Inn.)
In game two, Murray State jumped out an early 2-0 lead with RBI-singles from Jocelynn Rodgers and Kaylee Ranburger in the first and fifth innings, respectively. For the second straight game, the Racers had Tennessee Tech down to its last strike in the seventh and for the second-straight game, the Golden Eagles rallied to force extras. This time it was a double from LaSala and a single from Alyssa Richards that did the damage and tied the game at two.

After Campbell once again entered in relief in the seventh, she was able to retire Tennessee Tech in order in the eighth to give her team the chance at the win. In the eighth, Jessica Twaddle and Rodgers led off the frame with back-to-back singles, to put the former at third with no outs. In the next at bat, Madison Culver brought Twaddle home of a sacrifice fly to left field for the walk-off 3-2 win.

Despite tossing six shutout innings, Amber Van Duyse earned a no decision in the contest after allowing two runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and a walk over 6.2 frames. Campbell picked up the win by allowing no runs on no hits with two strikeouts and a walk over the final 1.1 innings of the game.

Murray State returns to Racer Field Tuesday when it hosts Memphis in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.