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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Softball hits the road again for the second weekend of the 2021 season as it travels to Louisville, Ky. to take on Bellarmine and Western Michigan. The Eagles look to add to their win total after splitting four games against Norfolk State a week ago.
 
MSU's 1 p.m. ET contest against host Bellarmine marks the first game for the Knights as a Division I softball program. Senior Alexis Strother leads a Morehead State lineup that earned its highest Opening Day run totals since the 1993 season as she begins the year batting .467 with the only home run for the Eagles this year. In the circle, sophomore Kelsey Perkins had two impressive outings last weekend, pitching 8.0 innings while striking out seven and only allowing two runs.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Records: Morehead State (2-2; 0-0 OVC) | Bellarmine (11-9; 0-0 GLVC) (Record in 2020) | Western Michigan (1-1; 0-0 MAC)
Series History: 16-2 vs. Bellarmine | No Previous Meetings vs. Western Michigan
Last Five Meetings vs. Bellarmine: March 31, 2010 (MOR 7, BU 5) | March 31, 2010 (MOR 4, BU 1) | March 13, 2008 (MOR 7, BU 1) | March 13, 2008 (MOR 5, BU 1) | April 26, 2007 (BU 4, MOR 3)
 
NOTABLE
• Senior Alexis Strother leads the Eagles with seven hits including her first home run of the season (seventh of her MSU career) in the opening game of 2021. She also has a four-game hitting streak to begin the year, the second-longest of her career.
 
• Junior Peyton Slater is currently tied for eighth in MSU history in times hit by pitch after she was struck for the 16th time as an Eagle in the series finale against Norfolk State.
 
• MSU's 15 combined runs on Opening Day of the 2021 campaign matched the highest total in program history (along with the 2017 team) since the 1993 squad began the season scoring 16 runs.
 
• Morehead State currently sits in second place in stolen bases with nine and tied for first in stolen base attempts with 10 after the first four games.
 
• When newcomer Lennon Spicer got the nod as the Opening Day starter, it marked the third consecutive season that a freshman began the season in the circle for MSU.
 
• Morehead State has seen excellent work behind the plate from junior Peyton Slater as the Eagles currently lead the OVC in opposing runners caught stealing.
 
• MSU recorded its first save since 2018 when sophomore Kelsey Perkins came in late during the second game of the young season to earn the final out of a 9-5 Eagle victory.
 
• After hitting .400 during the opening weekend, Peyton Jordan currently sits in third place among OVC freshmen in batting average.
 
• Sophomore Kirya Kingery tied her career-high in stolen bases in a game when she snagged three bags against Norfolk State in the season opener. The speedster previously accomplished the feat against Howard on March 1, 2020. She also currently leads the OVC in stolen bases with five on the season.
 
• Sophomore CJ Alincic sits just outside the top 10 in the OVC in opposing batting average, holding hitters to just .182, good enough for 11th place in the conference.