MOREHEAD, Ky. – After a promising start to the season-opening Best on the Bayou Classic, the Morehead State softball team struggled in Saturday's games, falling to Syracuse 12-4 in six innings and host Louisiana-Monroe 8-0 in five. Both contests took place at the Ouachita Sports Complex in Monroe, La.
In spite of the results, coach
Samantha Jones did find some positives in her club's play.
"Their bats have come around. Now we just need to find a way to combine both offense and defense for our next game tomorrow against Jacksonville State."
In the morning contest, Syracuse (3-0) scored once in the bottom of the first inning, and then added six runs in the second, two in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Morehead State (0-3) tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second. Senior first baseman
Alexis Strother was hit by a pitch and sophomore center fielder
Trinity Spear drew a walk. With two outs, junior catcher
Peyton Slater singled to center field to drive in Strother.
Again, the Eagles got a runner on base in the third inning, but the Blue and Gold was able to manufacture more scoring in the fourth after taking advantage of a hit by pitch, a walk and a wild pitch.
Slater got the bats going with a double down the left-field line that drove in junior third baseman
Peyton Rose. Sophomore second baseman
Peyton Jordan doubled to nearly the same spot to send Slater and freshman pitcher Bree Sexton home.
All of the damage was done with two outs.
MSU threatened again in the sixth. Spear and Rose led off with a pair of singles, and Sexton drew another walk. However, the Eagles were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.
The Orange were able to close out the game due to the run rule after collecting three runs on a pair of hits and an error in the bottom of the sixth.
The Eagles finished with six hits. Slater led the way with two, while Jordan Spear, Rose and
Taylor Rhea each had one.
Morehead State surrendered 11 hits and allowed eight earned runs. Tessa Galipeau led the hosts on the scoreboard with a 3-for-3, 2-run, 2-RBI performance. A total of eight players notched a hit, with four team members recording two.
One day after pitching eight scoreless innings, freshman starter
Madi Ogden faced six batters in the sixth, before yielding her spot in the circle to Sexton. The freshman reliever allowed just one earned run, two walks and five hits in four and one-third innings of work. She ended the game with two strikeouts. Ogden suffered the loss (0-2). The Orange collected six hits off Ogden which led to seven earned runs. She also had one walk and one strikeout. Lindsey Hendrix (1-0) captured the win. She went the distance in the circle, striking out six and walking four. All four runs were earned.
In the afternoon contest against the host Warhawks, Louisiana-Monroe (4-0) used a six-run fourth inning to distance itself. ULM also scored once in the second and once in the fifth to secure the victory in five innings due to the 8-run rule.
Morehead State (0-4) threatened by loading the bases in the bottom of the second. Strother drew a leadoff walk. After the next two batters struck out, freshman left fielder
Ieesha Christian also reached base after watching four errant pitches.
Peyton Slater followed with a single to left field, but neither baserunner was able to score. Unfortunately, the rally stopped there with a strikeout to end the inning.
The Warhawks collected three hits in the bottom of the stanza, but were only able to score once, leaving three on base.
That 1-0 lead held through the next two innings, although MSU manufactured some offensive chances after three batters reached base in the fourth. Spear and Christian moved up after stealing a base. Sophomore pinch runner
Erin Boyle nearly got the Eagles on the board but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice.
The hosts opened the gates in the bottom of that inning courtesy of four hits. Morehead State was unable to score in the fifth and the Warhawks forced an early end to the contest with a run in the bottom of the frame.
Slater accounted for the visitor's lone hit. Strother reached base twice with walks. Sophomore
Lennon Spicer (0-2) suffered the loss. She pitched four innings and surrendered nine hits, seven earned runs and six walks, while striking out three. Freshman
Maya Morris relieved Spicer to start the fifth and faced four batters yielding one unearned run.
Lourdes Bacon and Taylor Broddick each registered a pair of hits to pace the hosts. Ashlan Ard drive in three runs, while Gabby Davila and Kennedy Johnson were responsible for scoring two.
Kassidy Giddens (1-0) pitched four innings to earn the win. She finished with six strikeouts. Kinsey Kackley pitched an inning in relief and struck out two.
Morehead State will end its stay in the Pelican State with a familiar foe, Jacksonville State (1-2) at 10 a.m. ET.
