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MOREHEAD, Ky. - Junior
Robyn Leighton delivered a three-run walk-off home run that bounced off the scoreboard as Morehead State softball downed Belmont 10-7 in 13 innings in game two on Friday afternoon.
The Eagles split the doubleheader after falling 11-1 in game one.
With the split, their record moves to 23-17 and 4-8 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while Belmont moves to 29-13 and 5-7.
"I'm proud that we came out in game two and showed some fight. Obviously, you don't want to take 13 innings to get there, but I'm glad we got the win no matter how we got it," said head coach
David Williams.
Morehead State built a four-run lead in the bottom of the fifth after sophomore
Allison Rager connected on her third RBI double of the game, which drove in senior
Kayla McGuffey and sophomore
Aubrey Bennett. Two batters later, sophomore
Ellen Barrett delivered a two-run single, scoring Rager and junior
Robyn Leighton.
Belmont then answered with five runs in the sixth to take the lead at 7-6 before junior
Kylie Holton's solo home run in the bottom half tied the game at 7-7.
That's what the score remained until Leighton's game-winner in the bottom of the 13th that scored Rager and Leighton.
"They walked Al (Rager) three times in a row to get to Robyn (Leighton) and she made them pay on the last one," said Williams. "She had to be due, she's had big hits for us all year and she came through when we needed her to."
Rager (5-3, 6.06) picked up the win after allowing three earned runs in eight innings of relief. She allowed all three runs in the sixth before shutting down Belmont and holding them scoreless the rest of the way.
Rager also led the way at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, four runs batted in, two runs, and three walks. She reached base every time and after recording hits in her first four at-bats, Belmont walked her the next three times.
"She threw phenomenal, she threw seven scoreless innings. She really kept us in that ballgame, both offensively and in the circle," said Williams.
Leighton went 3-for-7 with the walk-off home run, her 12th of the season, which ties her with Amber Riddle for the most home runs in a single season in school history. Riddle had 12 in 2012.
McGuffey, Barrett, Holton, and freshman
Cassie Griffin all had multi-hit games for the Eagles. Holton's home run marked her third of the season.
In game one, the Eagles left eight runners on base as they fell, 11-1. They had a runner on third base in the first, third, and fourth innings, but failed to score.
Their lone run came via a solo home run from junior
Taylor Wheeler in the bottom of the second.
After going down in order in the first, Belmont scored in the next five innings. They had three different players hit home runs.
Junior
Chelsea McManaway (13-8, 1.74) picked up the loss after allowing eight earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. She struck out the first three batters she faced and finished the game with five strikeouts and a walk.
The Eagles return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they host Marshall at 3 p.m. ET.
