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MOREHEAD, Ky. — Senior third baseman Rebecca Butler extended her hitting streak to 18 games with a first-inning three-run homer, and five Morehead State Eagles had multi-hit games as MSU finished a three-game sweep of Tennessee State Sunday, 11-3 in five innings.
MSU won its fifth consecutive game and improved to 9-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 17-27 overall. TSU fell to 10-39 and 4-20 in the league.
Butler, who along with catcher Kelsea Bullock and Brooke McCartney, were honored for senior day, highlighted a six-run first inning for the Eagles with her eighth home run of the year. She finished 2-for-3 and is now hitting .523 (34-for-65) with six doubles, five homers and 16 RBIs during her 18-game streak. Kayla Ashbrook also homered – her seventh of the season – and went 2-for-4. Sam Woodall finished off a prolific series at the plate with a 3-for-4 day as she hit .636 in the three-game set. Stephanie Etter and Amber Riddle also had two hits apiece as the Eagles posted 15 safeties off two Tiger pitchers.
Kayla Brill was hit twice in the batter's box and broke the MSU single season record for HBP's with her 16th.
Kelcey McMurray pitched her second complete-game effort of the series, striking out seven to up her record to 9-8. She was credited with the win in all three games in the series and also two mid-week games at Dayton, giving her five straight victories.
Ashley Haynes hit a solo homer for the Tigers, while Brittany Webb and Tedra Alford paced the offense with two hits apiece. Susie Burke allowed seven runs in just one official inning and was slapped with the loss. Kelly Troglin allowed nine hits and four runs in tossing the final four frames.
After Butler’s round-tripper made it 3-0 in the first, Ashbrook scored via a wild pitch, one of four issued by Troglin and Burke. Bullock upped the tally to 6-0 with a bloop single down the right field line that scored Etter and Riddle.
The Eagles pushed their advantage to 9-0 after the second inning. Ashbrook launched a two-run homer, and McCartney singled home Etter with the ninth run.
Haynes led off the top of the third with a solo shot that ricocheted off the left field foul pole. The Eagles added another run of the bottom of the inning when Elizabeth Wagner generated an RBI single to score Woodall.
The Eagles were three outs from ending the game after TSU batted in the top of the fifth, but the Tigers struck for three runs off McMurray.
MSU finished off the mercy-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth, however. Butler and Riddle each singled with two outs, and Etter singled right back past Troglin in the circle as Butler motored around to score and make it 11-3.
Morehead State is scheduled to play Marshall in Huntington, W. Va., on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
