Grossmann pitches one-hit shutout as Eagles sweep APSU

MOR 5, APSU 0 - Box Score | Box Score (PDF)   MOR 5, APSU 4 (11) - Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore Mackenzie Grossmann pitched a one-hit shutout in game one and then the Eagles rallied from behind to win in 11 innings in game two, as they swept Austin Peay at University Field on Friday afternoon.

With the wins, Morehead State improves to 16-10 overall and remains perfect in OVC play at 5-0. The Governors fall to 5-17 and 1-4 in conference.

In the first game, the Eagles scored two runs in the second and then three more in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead.

That was all the offense that Grossmann (6-5) needed.

In seven scoreless innings, she allowed just one hit and only one Austin Peay base runner reached third base. The sophomore from Perry, Mo. finished with eight strikeouts and three walks.

"Mackenzie (Grossmann) threw phenomenal. I couldn't have asked her to do any better," said head coach David Williams. "She keeps getting better and better the more she throws and she's starting to look like she did at the end of last year."

Morehead State scored five runs off of seven hits. Sophomore Robyn Leighton's triple to lead off the fourth inning was their only hit that went for extra bases. She reached base all three times, finishing 1-for-1 with a triple, two runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Junior Kayla McGuffey went 2-for-4.

In game two, Danielle Liermann's three-run home run in the third inning put the Eagles in an early 3-1 hole. But, junior Karly Thompson homered in the fourth to trim the lead to 3-2 and then after APSU built the lead to 4-2, senior Tressa Watson delivered a clutch two-run single to left field in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings.

Both teams had scoring threats throughout extras, but neither team could break through until the bottom of the 11th inning.

Freshman Ellen Barrett led off the 11th with a single up the middle and then with one out advanced to second on a wild pitch. Three batters later, with bases loaded and two outs, McGuffey hit a bad hop single to second base to score Barrett and win the game.

"We had some opportunities that we missed, but we were very resilient," said Williams. "We did an excellent job of staying in the game, which gave us a shot late and we found a way to make it happen. I'm very proud of them."

Freshman Allison Rager, who had thrown complete games in her last three appearances, picked up the no-decision despite throwing 10.1 strong innings. She allowed the home run to Liermann, but really settled in after that. She gave up four earned runs on 11 hits, while walking four and striking out six.

The win went to freshman Taylor Funk (3-3), who entered in the 11th with a runner on third and just one out. She induced back-to-back groundouts to preserve the tie. 

Morehead State recorded 10 hits. Watson went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, while sophomore Laine Simmons finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. 

Thompson's home run in the fourth was her sixth of the year. 

The Eagles host Murray State tomorrow afternoon at noon and 2 p.m. ET.