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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State softball will hit the field for the final time in 2021 as it travels to take on OVC foe Murray State for a weekend series. The Eagles continue their rivalry with the Racers on Friday at 7 pm ET before a Saturday doubleheader set for 2 pm ET. The season-ending twin bill at Racer Field will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
MSU has spent a week away from action after its midweek doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky was canceled due to inclement weather. Both Morehead State and Murray State were swept last weekend with the Eagles falling to SIUE while the Racers dropped three to Southeast Missouri.
 
Junior Peyton Slater hopes to continue her hot hitting after going 4-for-9 with three doubles against SIUE to extend her eight-game reached base streak while freshman Lennon Spicer seeks to keep her place atop the OVC with a conference-high 148.1 innings pitched on the season.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
2021 Records: Morehead State (11-27/3-23 OVC) | Murray State (19-29/16-15 OVC)
Series History: Murray State leads 14-7
Last Five Meetings: April 28, 2019 (MUR 15, MOR 0 [5 inn.]) | April 28, 2019 (MUR 9, MOR 1 [5 inn.]) | May 1, 2018 (MOR 4, MUR 3) | May 1, 2018 (MUR 1, MOR 0) | March 26, 2017 (MOR 4, MUR 2)
 
NOTABLE
• Freshman Lennon Spicer currently leads the OVC with 148.1 innings pitched on the year. She also ranks in the top 15 in the conference in wins (T-fifth, 9), games finished (T-fifth, 12), strikeouts (seventh, 82), appearances (T-eighth, 28), games in relief (ninth, 12), and starts (T-11th, 16).
 
• After having been atop the OVC in stolen bases for most of the season, the Eagles have fallen to the #4 spot in the conference with 60 SBs on 73 attempts. MSU is 48th in the country with 1.58 stolen bases per game. The Eagles, however, have only stolen one total bag in their last six OVC games.
 
• Sophomore Kirya Kingery is the catalyst for the Eagles with 21 stolen bases, tied for second in the OVC and 37th in the NCAA. She is also 43rd in the country with an average of 0.57 stolen bases per game. Her 21 SBs are the most for an MSU player since Krystie Coleman stole 21 bags in 2007 while her 29 career stolen bags put her just two SBs outside the Morehead State career top 10 list.
 
• Alexis Strother leads Morehead State with a .302 batting average on the season to rank in the top 40 in the OVC in the category. She is also tied for 12th in the conference with 25 RBI.
 
• Morehead State has seen excellent work behind the plate as junior catcher Peyton Slater has thrown out nine opposing runners this season, currently third-most in the conference.
 
• Peyton Slater has been hit by a pitch 24 times in her career, putting her in fourth place in MSU softball history in the category. She was hit for the ninth time this season in the second game of Morehead State's doubleheader against SIUE on May 1, putting her in fifth place in the OVC in times HBP this season.
 
• Kirya Kingery is tied for 15th in the OVC in runs, having crossed the plate 24 times on the year. She is also third in the OVC with 24 stolen base attempts while being tied for third in the conference in times HBP, having been hit 10 times this season.
 
• Infielder Peyton Jordan is 15th in the OVC with 60 assists on the season. She has been the MSU starter at second base for 32 of the Eagles' 38 games to date, while her .984 fielding percentage is the highest of MSU's regular starters.
 
• Morehead State batters have been hit by a pitch an OVC-most 34 times this season. The MSU pitching staff is second in the conference in HBPs, having hit 32 opposing batters on the year.
 
• MSU pitchers are fifth in the OVC with 48 batters struck out looking. Lennon Spicer is second in the conference individually, representing 28 of the team's 48 strikeouts.