GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 1 BOX SCORE (PDF)
GAME 2 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORE (PDF)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State softball team produced 25 hits and 21 runs as the Eagles knocked off Tennessee State in a pair of mercy-rule victories Saturday at University Field.
The Eagles scored five runs in the first inning of game one and went on to win 9-1 in six innings, and MSU erased a 4-0 early deficit with four runs each in third, fourth and fifth frames of game two to claim a 12-4, five-inning win.
The Eagles improved to 16-27 and 8-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Tigers dipped to 10-28 overall and 4-19 in league contests.
MSU freshman pitcher Kelcey McMurray (8-8) picked up the win in both games, throwing a complete-game, four-hitter in the opener and then tossing the final 1.2 innings in relief of game two while not allowing a hit. The Eagles have now won four straight games this week, and McMurray has been credited with the win in all four.
Senior Rebecca Butler, junior Sam Woodall and sophomore Kayla Ashbrook all had four hits apiece in the doubleheader, while Ashbrook, freshman Stephanie Etter and sophomore Amber Riddle totaled four RBIs each. Woodall scored five runs to pace MSU.
Tedra Alford and Jasmine Brimm had three hits to lead TSU on the day. Alford hit a pair of home runs in the second game, and Shanika Johnson also homered for the Tigers in the second contest.
Kelly Troglin allowed all nine runs and 13 hits in the opener to take the loss. Olivia Gamache absorbed the game two setback, giving up 12 hits and 11 earned runs.
The Eagles pounced on the Tigers for five runs in the first inning of game one. Butler drove in two with a double, and Ashbrook, Riddle and Etter had RBI singles. The Tigers scored their lone run on a strange play in the third. With Alford and second and Brimm on first, Brittany Webb hit a grounder up the middle. Ashbrook fielded it for MSU at short and flipped to Etter at second for the first out. On the throw to first, Etter’s toss ricocheted off Brimm’s helmet and out of play over the first base dugout, allowing Alford to score.
Elizabeth Wagner doubled in the fourth inning to drive in Woodall and make it 6-1 MSU. Etter smashed her fourth home of the year – a two-run bomb to center – in the fifth that also scored Taylor Sherritt. The Eagles ended the game in the sixth when Wagner scored from second after an infield fielding error off Ashbrook’s bat.
The Eagles found themselves in a 4-0 hole after two-and-a-half innings in game two. Alford launched the first pitch of the game from MSU starter Ashley Imperial over the wall in left center. In the top of the third, Johnson led off with a solo home run to chase Imperial from the game. Two batters later, Alford lined a solo homer to right field off Ashley Boyd. Webb added an RBI single later to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Ashbrook wiped the TSU lead off the scoreboard with a three-run homer. After Woodall had scored via an error to make it 4-1, Kayla Brill and Butler trotted around on Ashbrook’s sixth home run of the year.
MSU took the lead for good in the fourth. Woodall scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Gamache. Following a single by Butler and a free pass issued to Ashbrook, Riddle lifted her seventh home run of the season – a three-run shot – to left field to push the Eagle advantage to 8-4.
Butler started a four-run inning in the fifth with an RBI single to score Woodall. Later, with the bases loaded, Etter was plunked by a pitch to push across Butler and make it 10-4. Sherritt ended the game with a walk-off single down the left field to score Ashbrook and Riddle.
The teams will conclude the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. game.
