Racers Come up Empty in Doubleheader with Auburn

Friday, February 26

Auburn, Ala.

2:30 P.M.

Murray State

2-8

Auburn

7-1

Murray State

Auburn

Photo by: Dan Hasko - Murray State Athletics

2/26/2021 7:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score PDF (Game 1)Box Score PDF (Game 2)

Murray State drops two low-scoring affairs on day one of Tiger Invite

Murray State softball opened the weekend with a doubleheader against Auburn to kick off the Tiger Invite in Auburn, Alabama on Friday. Despite holding the Tigers to just four combined runs over the two games, the SEC foe prevailed in both contests earning victories of 1-0 and 3-1 respectively over the Racers on the day.

Game 1 – Auburn 1, Murray State 0
While Murray State held Auburn to a single run on three hits in game one of the afternoon, the Racers fell to the Tigers 1-0 to begin a five-game weekend slate.

Hannah James got off to a fantastic start for the Racers, retiring the first eight Auburn batters while recording a pair of strikeouts through the first three frames.

Jenna Veber took over the pitching duties for the Racers after one batter in the fourth, striking out the first batter she faced, but the Tigers would plate the first score of the contest two batters later courtesy of an Aspyn Godwin RBI double to right field.

Veber would allow just one hit the rest way, but the Racers were unable to generate any offense until the top of the seventh when Lily Fischer broke up Shelby Lowe's perfect game with two outs in the final frame with an infield hit to become the first Racer baserunner of the contest. That would be the extent of the Racer comeback effort, however, as Auburn escaped with a 1-0 victory in game one of the afternoon.

James would be on the hook for the loss in the circle despite allowing just one run on one hit while striking out a pair through three innings of work. Veber also fanned two Tiger batters while surrendering just two hits in three innings of relief.

Game 2 – Auburn 3, Murray State 1
Auburn would be the first team on the scoreboard in game two when they did so in the second inning with an RBI single off the bat Lindsey Garcia. After Kelsey Schmidt scored on a wild pitch, Garcia would score off a Makenna Dowell base hit to give the home side a 3-0 lead through two complete.

The Racers would get one back in the third when a ground ball off the bat of pinch-hitting Jordan Childress resulted in a double play, but would be enough to score Jordan Caple from third as Murray State cut the deficit to 3-1.

While the Racer pitching staff kept the Tigers scoreless the rest of the way, the bats managed just one hit over the remaining innings as Auburn secured a 3-1 victory.

At the plate, Sierra Gilmore, Taylor Jackson, and Chloe Jacque would be responsible for the Racer hits in the ballgame.

The Racers featured three pitchers in the contest, highlighted by Taylor Makowsky tossing one and one-thirds innings in relief in her first appearance of 2021, and Jenna Veber throwing three scoreless frames.

The Racers will be back in action on Saturday for day two of the Tiger Invite which will feature a doubleheader against Jacksonville. First pitch for game one is slated for 9:00 a.m.