Racers to Host Golden Eagles in Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, April 6

Racer Field

1 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee Tech

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

4/5/2019 12:24:00 PM | Softball

Game Notes (PDF)Live Video Live Stats

Dates: April 6 – 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)
Live Video: https://es.pn/2U0tcXA
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2I74p2T
MSU Record (Streak): 15-18 (L1)
Racers All-Time vs. TTU: 13-11
TTU Record (Streak): 15-15 (L1)
MSU Next Games: April, 9 at Austin Peay
MSU Next Home: April 23, vs. North Alabama

The Racers look to improve on their 5-1 start to Ohio Valley Conference competition with a home doubleheader against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. The pair of games will take place at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky, with the first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.

Last Time Out:
The Racers enter Saturday's doubleheader after a midweek defeat in Carbondale against the Salukis of Southern Illinois University. The Racers, who played a clean game defensively, were unable to string together any momentum at the plate as they were blanked for the first time since March 27^th against Memphis. In the circle, Murray State tossed five shutout innings on the day, with the exception being a second inning that would feature all four Saluki runs. Ellison Barrett turned in a solid relief appearance for the Racers, pitching 4.1 innings without surrendering an earned run while striking out three SIU batters.

At the plate for Murray State, Brenna Finck, Jensen Striegel, and Lexi Jones recorded hits in the ballgame, with Jones adding an extra-base hit to her tally with a double in the second inning.

Entering Saturday:
Entering Saturday's doubleheader with Tennessee Tech, the Racers are batting .269 as team with 18 home runs in 2019. Averaging 4.27 runs per contest across all games, the Racers are off to a 5-1 start in conference competition. Reaching base at a .344 clip, Murray State looks to extend their three-game conference winning streak in the pair of contests against the Golden Eagles on Saturday.

The Racers have been fueled by Lillie Goetz, who is batting .344 with a team-high 27 RBIs in 2019. Additionally, her 12 doubles on the year ranks 22^nd in the country, while she posts a .455 on-base percentage through 33 games thus far.

Brenna Finck is also turning in a .339 average with nine stolen bases and 22 runs scored on the year, while Madison Culver leads the Racers in round-trippers with five to her credit entering Saturday's doubleheader.

In the circle, the Racers carry a 3.80 ERA, while their 1.95 KK/BB ratio ranks in the top third of programs across the nation. Individually, the duo of Hannah James and Taylor Makowsky have frustrated opposing hitters this season as they combine for 12 of the 15 Racers wins in 2019. James, who has a 2.66 ERA through 105.1 innings on the year, has recorded a phenomenal 3.77 K/BB ratio thus far. Makowsky, who enters Saturday with a 4-2 record, has 31 strikeouts through 33.1 innings of work, while opposing hitters have managed just a .228 average against her in 2019.

Scouting Tennessee Tech:
The Golden Eagles are off to a 5-3 start to OVC competition after splitting a doubleheader with SIUE in their last time out. They enter the weekend batting .257 as a team with 30 home runs on the year. They average 4.87 runs per game contest in 2019 to accompany a .333 on-base percentage heading into Saturday's doubleheader with Murray State.

At the plate, the Golden Eagles are led by Beth McCulley, who has turned in a .390 average with 17 runs scored on the year. Supplying the power in the Tennessee Tech lineup, Sydney Love-Baker has hit a team-high eight home runs while driving in 23 runs for her side this season.

In the circle, the Golden Eagles carry a team ERA of 4.48, while opposing hitters have managed a .270 average at the dish this season. The Racers could expect to see Alyssa Arden in Saturday's doubleheader, as she leads her side with a 3.27 ERA and 71 strikeouts through her 92 innings in 2019. Additionally, she has held opposing hitters to just a .232 average entering Saturday's competition.

All-Time Series:
The Racers and Golden Eagles have met 24 times in their history, with Murray State holding the advantage as winners of 13 of those prior encounters. Tennessee Tech did get the better of the Racers last season, however, when they took both games from the Murray State in their most recent meetings in 2018.

Weather Forecast:
The weather forecast is calling for a partly cloudy 68 degrees for the first pitch at Racer Field. A slight crosswind will accompany the mild temperatures at around five miles per hour.