Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short in Series Opener

Friday, March 2

Reagan Field

3 p.m.

Murray State

4-5

Fort Wayne

3-4

Fort Wayne

Murray State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

3/2/2018 6:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State's ninth-inning comeback fell just short Friday afternoon at Johnny Reagan Field as the Racers fell to Fort Wayne, 7-5 in the series opener. MSU scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth before running out of gas.

The Racers (4-5) had runners on the corners with just one out in the ninth inning before a flyout by Kyle Stevens and a groundout by Brandon Gutzler ended the MSU threat.

A four-run top of the sixth inning for the Mastodons (3-4) proved fatal for the Racers as Fort Wayne scored the four runs off just one hit. Two hit batters, a pair of walks and an error in the inning cost MSU dearly.

MSU began the scoring in the contest in the second inning on a Tyler Duke single to left field that brought home Gavin Wehby from second base. The Racers didn't really threaten again until the fifth inning when Jaron Robinson was thrown out at home trying to score on a base hit from second.

A two-run homer to left field in the eighth pushed Fort Wayne's lead to 6-1 and in the top of the ninth, the Mastodons were able to get another insurance run thanks to an MSU error and push the lead to 7-1.

In the ninth, CJ Bush's double to right center started the Racer rally as he scored Bryan Chilton. In the next at bat, Jake Slunder's two-RBI single through the hole made it 7-4. MSU cut it to 7-5 on a balk from the Mastodon pitcher brought Ryan Perkins home from third. Perkins reached on a single earlier in the inning.

Nate Pianto took the loss in the series opener as he faced three batters, hitting two and striking out the other, both runners Pianto hit came in to score in the sixth. Peyton Hayes took the no decision in his third start of the season. Hayes pitched 5.1 innings, giving up just three hits and allowing one run while striking out four. Braydon Cook pitched the final 3.2 innings and struck-out four batters while walking five and allowing four runs on two hits. Two of those runs scored were unearned.

Davis Sims led the MSU offense at the plate with a 3-for-5 day while Gutzler was the other Racer with multiple hits as he went 2-of-4.

The two squads will continue the four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon at Reagan Field.