Baseball nails down OVC Tournament bid with 12-6 win

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MURRAY, Ky.– The Morehead State baseball offense vaulted to an early 9-1 lead, and junior pitcher Cable Wright shut down the Murray State bats following a modest rally as the Eagles clinched an OVC Tournament berth with a 12-6 victory over the Racers at Reagan Field Friday night.
 
The Eagles improved to 31-24 and 17-12 in the league, locking down the fourth seed for next week's OVC Tournament in Jackson, Tenn. Morehead State will participate in the conference tournament for the third consecutive season. Murray State fell to 26-29 overall and 14-15 in the league and was eliminated from tournament contention.
 
"When we hit well, get a big lead, and fill up the strike zone like we did with Cable, it's hard for a team to come back on us. We knew we didn't play well on Thursday and needed to win and we took care of business tonight. Murray State is a good team, and they aren't going to the tournament now, but I feel like they have a tournament-caliber team."
 
RBI doubles by junior right-fielder Will Schneider and freshman designated hitter Trevor Snyder, plus run-producing singles by freshman shortstop Reid Leonard and freshman catcher Hunter Fain staked the visitors to a 7-0 lead before the Racers had their first chance at bat. Fain cranked a two-run double in the second, and the Eagles held their 9-1 cushion.
 
The Racers plated five, though, in the third frame to stay within striking distance. Snyder scored on a wild pitch in the fifth for a 10-6 Eagle lead, and freshman leftfielder Niko Hulsizer singled up the middle with the bases loaded and the infield drawn in during the ninth inning to plate two more.
 
Wright, who improved to 6-0, filled up the strike zone in the final four stanzas, allowing only three hits while striking out four. Starter Aaron Leasher was chased from the game after surrendering six hits and four earned runs, and reliever Curtis Wilson tossed the next 2.2 innings.
 
Leonard and sophomore first baseman Tyler Niemann had three hits apiece, while Fain, Schneider, Hulsizer and Snyder connected on two hits.
 
The regular-season finale is set for 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.