MOREHEAD, Ky. – On paper it seemed as though Morehead State's Saturday softball home game against Tennessee State was a must-win. The Eagles rallied in the seventh to force extra innings, before falling in the eighth 4-2 at the University Field.
"Today was a heart-wrencher. The girls put up a good fight. Lennon (Spicer) did a great job on the mound keeping the batters off balance. The other team did a good job of putting the ball hard into play and having timely hits. Our defense stood behind Lennon for eight innings strong," MSU coach
Samantha Jones said. "We have got to continue to work on being aggressive in our at-bats and (continue) adapting in our at-bats as the game prolong(s). Overall, it was a well-fought game and I'm very proud of our girls and the way they played."
Although the valiant effort fell short, the news is not all bad for the Blue and Gold. MSU is still in the thick of the hunt for a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Trailing 2-1 on Saturday, junior center fielder
Trinity Spear came through in the bottom of the seventh inning with a one-out, run-scoring triple deep into left-center field (her fourth of the year). Junior designated player
Taylor Rhea drew a one-out walk to set up the scoring opportunity. However, the Eagles were unable to get Spear home and the game went into extra innings, the first for Morehead State (7-34/6-18) this season since a February 19 game at Gardner-Webb.
Behind two nearly perfect performances between both pitchers, just three batters reached base through the first three and a half innings. In the bottom of the fourth, MSU picked up its first hit with a senior third baseman
Peyton Rose single to center field. Earlier in the frame, senior shortstop
Peyton Slater earned the team's second walk of the day, but that was as close as the Eagles could get to scoring in the early innings.
The visitors put up the first threat in the top of the third when freshman catcher Maggie Klug singled and junior right fielder Ivory Jones doubled. But, on the last hit, junior left fielder
Madeline Gailor threw the ball to Slater who sent it to freshman catcher
Ilencia Lightbody to make the tag on Klug's pinch runner junior Analeigh Coursey at the plate.
Tennessee State (15-36/6-19) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth after having three straight hits to start the stanza. Freshman second baseman Ryla Traylor singled to shortstop, sophomore third baseman Anayah Baker doubled to right field that a diving sophomore right fielder
Erin Boyle just misses, and junior center fielder Marisa Mauroschadt doubled down the right-field line (and into foul territory after it tipping off senior first baseman
Alexis Strother's glove), to drive both home. The Eagles were able to stifle the rally with a double play after sophomore pitcher
Lennon Spicer caught a short pop fly and threw to second to get Mauroschadt out during the next at-bat.
MSU answered in the bottom of the inning when leadoff batter Rhea hit her first home run this season with a shot that went over the fence in right-center field.
Both teams picked up a hit in the sixth, but neither runner advanced past second base. Brown was thrown out by Lightbody (to sophomore second baseman
Peyton Jordan) attempting to steal second. In limited action behind the plate, it was the second runner Lightbody has caught stealing. Slater then doubled to left center in the bottom of the frame.
Traylor singled and stole second to start the seventh, before moving to third after Baker lined a shot up the middle. But, the Eagles were able to contain the Tiger bats inducing the next two batters to commit outs.
MSU threatened to win the game in the seventh. After Rhea's walk and Spear's triple, Boyle laid down a bunt but the Tigers held Spear at third and Boyle eventually walked safely to second. However, the next two batters produced outs, leaving Spear and Boyle stranded.
Tennessee State put the game away in the eighth. After a strikeout began the inning, Jasmine Brown singled to third and advanced to second on a throwing error. Senior shortstop Lauren Farias reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second. Sophomore first baseman Peyton Fointno singled to the shortstop to score Brown. Fointno stole second and freshman pinch hitter Alyssi Drayton hit a sac fly into center field with Farias beating the throw to the plate. Traylor then singled to left, pushing Fointno to third, but the next batter ended the inning.
Strother singled to left-center with one out in the bottom of the frame, but the next two batters hit into outs on their first pitch to end the game.
Traylor led TSU with a 3-for-4 performance and also scored a run. Seven Tigers collected hits, with Baker and Brown each finishing with two. Mauroschadt recorded two RBI.
Slater, Strother, Rose, Rhea and Spear had at one hit apiece. Rhea and Spear were each credited with an RBI, while Rhea scored both runs.
Sophomore Francys King (3-10) picked up the win in a complete game. She allowed two earned runs on five hits, with three walks and one strikeout.
Spicer fell to 6-17. She also went the distance, but surrendered 11 hits and three earned runs. She struck out five, but did not walk a batter.
Tennessee State won the series for the second straight year after splitting Friday's games (3-1 defeat and 4-2 win). The Tigers won in Morehead for just the fourth and fifth times in their history. Friday's game two result snapped a string of 15 consecutive home wins over TSU. MSU fell to 6-8 on the University Field.
The Blue and Gold now sit two games behind
SIUE in the race for the last spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Cougars beat Southeast Missouri at home on Saturday and host the
Redhawks twice on Sunday. Eastern Illinois is seventh at 8-16, SIUE is eighth at 7-16, the Eagles are ninth at 6-18 and Tennessee State is 10th at 6-19.
Morehead State stays home to face Rio Grande on Tuesday and then Butler on Wednesday in a pair of doubleheaders. The RGU twin bill will start at 2 p.m., with the Bulldogs matchups slated for 1 p.m. The Eagles will conclude the regular season next weekend with a three-game set at Murray State.
