MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State softball opened conference play by splitting a pair of decisions with Southern Indiana, dropping the first game 6-4, before winning the second, 6-5.
Kirya Kingery recorded three hits on the day, along with three stolen bases and four runs scored, while
Peyton Jordan added two hits and two runs scored of her own, but the biggest hit of the day belonged to
Emily Williams, who stroked the first grand slam for Morehead State since 2018.
Freshman
Jessie Begley starred in the circle in game two, notching her first career complete game en route to her second win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
The Screaming Eagles opened the scoring in the first with a sacrifice fly to take the early 1-0 lead, but Morehead State quickly answered back, thanks to an RBI single from
Emily Williams to score
Kirya Kingery, who stole two bases to get into scoring position.
A bases loaded walk in the top of the second gave the lead back to USI, but Ogden limited the damage, leaving the bases loaded to end the inning.
A three-base error to open the bottom of the third put Kingery in scoring position, and she was brought home by an RBI squeeze bunt from
Peyton Jordan to tie the game.
A line drive double play in the top of the fourth kept the game knotted at two, but USI broke through in the fifth with a solo homerun to break the tie. An RBI double in the sixth stretched the lead to 4-2.
After Morehead State left the bases loaded to end the sixth, USI added to their lead with a run scoring fielder's choice and an RBI sacrifice fly, making the lead 6-2 headed into the bottom of the seventh.
The Eagles rallied in the seventh, with Kingery driving home
Trinity Spear on an RBI single and
Taylor Rhea adding an RBI single of her own to cut the lead to 6-4, but the comeback attempt fell short, giving the game to USI.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
USI jumped out to an early 4-0 advantage after two innings, with the Eagles leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the second with a chance to cut into the lead.
After a 1-2-3 inning from
Jessie Begley, the Eagles struck back in the bottom of the third with a grand slam from
Emily Williams to tie the game.
USI rallied with two outs in the top of the fourth to take back a 5-4 lead, but the Eagles countered in the bottom of the fifth when
Peyton Jordan came home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
Begley kept the game even through the top of the sixth and the Eagles took advantage of fielding miscues in the bottom half of the inning, when a dropped third strike got
Taikibrea Campbell to first base, later scoring on an error from the first baseman to give the Eagles their first lead of the day.
Begley closed out the game in the seventh, stranding the tying run on second after striking out Lavin Osborne to secure the win.
UP NEXT
Morehead State returns to action tomorrow at University Field for the series finale against the Screaming Eagles.
