MACOMB, IL --The Morehead State Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed from there on the way to a 10-2 six-inning win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Friday. The victory snapped a seven-game road skid and marked the first time MSU defeated an opponent by the eight-run rule since toppling Lindenwood, also in six innings, on April 2, 2023.
The Eagles scored three runs in three different innings to pull away to the victory.
Freshman Addie Stem (5-9) got the win for Morehead State (9-14, 3-7). The right-hander went the distance, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on eight hits, allowing four walks and striking out a team season-high seven.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by senior Kaytlyn Cripps, who went 2-for-4 on the day with a double and three RBI. Freshman Sela Pickford put together a noteworthy effort as well, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Senior Peyton Jordan also helped out for Morehead State, putting together one hit in four trips to the plate while adding a triple and two RBI. Freshman Kendra Lewis also contributed finishing 2-for-2, with two walks and three runs scored.
Offense was the main story. In total, seven Eagles had at least one hit, while six scored and four had RBI. The team's 11 hits ties its season high and extended MSU's total over its last four games to 36. It also marked the 15th time in 23 games that the Blue and Gold had at least six hits. The 10 runs were the most for the squad since scoring 11 in the season opener against Valparaiso.
Lewis talked about the club's offense.
"As a team we were ready to play today and came out hot. We stuck to our plans and executed when needed up at the plate," she said. "I felt as though lots of people in the lineup today were seeing the ball very well. We talked about picking each other up after the game. That's something we also did very well today."
The Eagles were successful in all three phases of the game, something head coach Megan Griffith pointed out.
"Today was a great day. We were really grooving," she said. "Defense played strong behind Addie on the mound and she did a great job keeping their hitters off balance. We were strong through the lineup several times on offense with timely hitting. Great day to be an Eagle!"
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Eagles got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning.
The Leathernecks failed to push any runs across before the Eagles built on their lead in the third inning. Morehead State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Pickford, which brought the score to 4-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Morehead State kept Western Illinois scoreless before building their lead to 7-0 the following inning. The Eagles notched three runs in the frame, two of them coming across on a two-run single off the bat of Cripps.
The Leathernecks gained ground, closing the gap to 7-2 until Morehead State added some insurance in the sixth. The three-run frame for the Eagles was punctuated by a two-run triple from Jordan, bringing the Morehead State advantage to 10-2. The score remained 10-2 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles coasted to the win.
GAME NOTES
» Pickford had three base knocks in the game for Morehead State.
» Stem struck out seven Leathernecks hitters.
» Morehead State's highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed three runs across.
» Morehead State took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn't surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.
» The Eagles out-hit the Leathernecks at an 11-8 clip.
» Morehead State went 7-for-15 (.467) with runners in scoring position.
» Morehead State pitchers limited Western Illinois to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Morehead State pitchers faced 30 Western Illinois hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and two fly balls while striking out seven.
» The Eagles drew five walks from Western Illinois pitching.
» Cripps led the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
» Western Illinois was led offensively by freshman Valerie Combs, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Sophomore Kathryn McChristy led the Leathernecks pitching staff, throwing one inning of three-run ball.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
