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MOREHEAD, Ky. — At one point in Morehead State’s softball game with Murray State Sunday, the Eagles trailed 6-0. But, one would have never guessed that by the final score.
The host Eagles erupted for 15 runs in their final three at-bats and batted around in the fourth and fifth innings as they defeated the visiting Racers 15-7, ending the game on the run-rule in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Morehead State improved to 11-24 and 5-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Murray State fell to 9-19 and 4-9 in the league.
The Eagles entered the fourth inning down 6-0 as Murray State pounced on the Eagles for two in the first and four in the second off Morehead State starter Kelcey McMurray. But, relievers Ashley Boyd and Jami Whitcomb held the Racer bats at bay for the most part the rest of the game.
Boyd threw three innings and allowed three runs but only three total hits to collect the victory and improve to 1-3. Whitcomb tossed the final two frames and surrendered just one hit in picking up her first Division I save. Chelsey Sullivan allowed nine runs in 1.1 innings and was saddled with the loss.
Freshman Corie Roberts got the nine-run fourth started with a bases-clearing double into the left field corner. Amber Riddle, who had walked, and Kayla Brill, who was plunked by a pitch from Racer starter Shelby Kosmecki, scored. Stephanie Etter, who had also reached via a walk, scored all the way from first when Racer left fielder Taylor Wilson misplayed the ball. Roberts then scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. Elizabeth Wagner tied it up with a two-run double to left field. Brill’s sacrifice squeeze attempt was wildly thrown into right field and another error on the right fielder allowed two more runs to score to make it 8-6. Riddle then hit a line drive to center that Racer fielder Jenna Bradley mishandled, allowing Brill to score the ninth run.
Ellyn Troup hit her third home run of the series – a solo shot for Murray State – in the top of the fifth to bring her team to within 9-7.
Wagner added another two-RBI hit in the bottom of the fifth, and Rebecca Butler singled in a run as the Eagles went ahead 13-7. Butler picked up her fourth hit of the day, an RBI single, in the sixth, and Brill ended the game with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to right. Ashbrook just beat the throw to force the run-rule into effect.
The Eagles ended up with 15 hits, while the Racers made six errors. Butler was 4-for-5 and upped her career hit total to 190 to move into a tie for second on the MSU career list. She needs just eight more hits to set the school career record. Wagner was 3-for-5, and Sam Woodall went 2-for-4.
Megan Glosser led the Racers with three hits. Troup was 2-for-2.
Morehead State hosts Eastern Kentucky for a single game Thursday at 3 p.m. The teams split a doubleheader at Richmond last week.
