MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State softball team reveled in the chance to play again at home and took full advantage of the opportunity by trouncing Lindenwood 15-4 in five innings on Friday at the University Field at Prefontaine Park in Morehead to break a 10-game slump in the first outing of a six-game homestand.
There is a stark contrast between the Eagles at home and on the road. At the University Field, they sport a 4-6 record. Away from there, the team is 1-30.
Morehead State (5-36/3-15) did just about everything right as coach
Megan Griffith was pleased with her team's pitching, hitting and defense.
"(It was a) great team victory today," she said. "(The) offense really put on a show with nine runs in the first and kept it rolling the whole time. (The) defense did a great job (behind a) strong outing on the mound."
The series was moved up a day due to storms that are anticipated on Saturday. It is the fifth Ohio Valley Conference series and the sixth time overall that MSU's 2025 schedule had to be readjusted due to weather.
There were a number of highlights for the Blue and Gold. In addition to snapping a double-digit skid, every batter both collected a hit and scored. The Eagles matched seasons-high with nine runs in the first inning and 15 runs in total. They tied their home win total from 2024. They notched their first 11-run victory since Mar. 4, 2020. They collected their second run-rule win of the season. They registered their first four-game error free stretch since Feb. 19-24, 2023, and they had three players record their ninth consecutive outing with a hit.
Equally as important, when the Eagles pitch well, they can be a formidable force. On Friday, junior
Rylie Burney moved to 3-18 on the season after allowing two runs on five hits, with three walks and one strikeout in four innings of work, leaving the game shortly after getting hit with a line drive. Junior
Emma Solis finished the contest, pitching one inning and allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and no strikeouts.
In addition, sophomore third baseman
Kendra Lewis hit her sixth home run of the campaign and notched a new team season high with six RBI. As a group, the Eagles also registered 15 RBI, setting a new top mark for 2025.
Sophomore left fielder
Maddy Christopher, sophomore shortstop
Sela Pickford and senior center fielder
Darlene Montoya each extended hitting streaks to nine games.
Watch Christopher talk about the team's offense on the MSU YouTube page.
https://youtu.be/cAl7M7ZFsjs
The 11-run victory marked just the third time this season that Lindenwood (18-20/9-10) surrendered double figures against it. The Lions used four pitchers in the game.
LU threatened in the top of the first putting two runners on base. However, neither advanced past second.
The Eagles got off to a quick start by plating nine runs off seven hits in the bottom of the first. The visitors also made a costly error that eventually led to eight of those runs being unearned.
Thirteen Eagles came to the plate in the first. Pickford doubled down the line and moved up a base on a wild pitch. Christopher grounded out to second base, but it was deep enough to allow Pickford to score. The Lions got their second out on the next at bat, but the ensuing error during Montoya's plate appearance extended the inning. Junior first baseman
Jordan Donato single to left-center field. Freshman second baseman
Victoria Spencer singled to right center, plating Montoya. Freshman catcher
Nyla Doiron doubled to left center, scoring both Donato and Spencer. Freshman right fielder
Sophie Collins followed with a single to right field sending Doiron home. Senior designated player
Ilencia Lightbody made it five straight hits with a single down the first-base line.
That play forced Lindenwood to make a change in the circle. But, MSU answered by drawing back-to-back walks, the second of which pushed Collins home. Lewis followed with a three-run double to left-center field to clear the bases, before the inning ended during the next at bat.
Both teams went down in order in the second. Lindenwood got one runner on base in the third, before the Eagles padded their lead by scoring three times on three hits and the visitors turned to their third pitcher of the afternoon.
Again, most of the damage was done with two outs. Collins drew a leadoff walk. Three batters later she scored on a Christopher single. Lewis followed with her two-run shot over the right-field fence. Another Montoya single led to the change in the circle. The inning ended with a jumping catch by Madisen Noll off a rocketed line drive.
Lindenwood mounted a rally in the top of the fourth, collecting four hits and scoring twice. The fifth batter, Lauren Pelton, hit a line drive off the hand of Burney, but the junior hurler stayed in to finish the inning. A Teryn Brown single drove in the Lions' second run of the frame and the visitors were able to load the bases, before Collins snared a line drive out of the air in right field.
The Eagles kept the pressure on in the fourth. Spencer led off with a double, Doiron and Collins both walked, and Lightbody free pass of a bases-loaded five-pitch at bat extended the hosts' advantage to 11 runs and forced yet another pitching change.
Christopher walked and both Pickford and Lewis collected RBI off a sacrifice fly. Montoya drew a walk, but the inning ended on the next play as MSU left three runners on base.
Solis started the fifth inning and the Lions responded by back-to-back run-scoring doubles, before an outstanding defensive play by Spencer at second base ended the game.
Watch Spencer talk about the Eagles' defense on MSU's YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPcKG0mZA0c&feature=youtu.be
MSU posted its ninth game this spring with double digit hits, collecting 11. Literally, every player both recorded a hit and scored, a feat that is unlikely to have been achieved in a long time or possibly ever.
Lewis led the way at 2-for-3, with six RBI and a run. Christopher finished 1-for-2, with a career-high three RBI, and also scored. Spencer was 2-for-3, with two runs and an RBI. Doiron was 1-for-2, with two RBI and two runs. Pickford was 1-for-2, with two runs and an RBI. Collins was 1-for-3, with three runs and an RBI. Lightbody was 1-for-2, with an RBI and a run. Montoya went 1-for-3, with a run; and Donato finished 1-for-4, with a run.
The Eagles were issued eight free passes, with Christopher and Collins each drawing two. The hosts also benefited from four wild pitches.
Dallis Darnell paced the Lions with a pair of hits. The team finished with seven.
Ryleigh Owens suffered the loss to fall to 9-7. The left-hander surrendered seven runs on six hits, although only one run was earned, in two-thirds of an inning. She did not have a walk or strikeout. Samantha Roulanaitis pitched two innings and surrendered five runs (three earned) on four hits, with three walks and a strikeout. Lucy Pratt threw for a third of an inning, giving up three runs and three walks, as well as one hit. Molly Heidrick finished the game, pitching the final inning. She did not allow a run or hit but walked two. She also did not record a strikeout.
The Eagle victory snapped a three-game slide against the Lions. MSU is now 2-2 all-time at home against Lindenwood.
The two teams will meet on Friday for a doubleheader to close out the series. The first pitch is scheduled for noon. Game two is expected to start around 2:30 p.m.
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Game one can be found at the link: G1:
https://shorturl.at/JDsbk , with game two available at:
https://shorturl.at/ZYMBf
Live stats can also be accessed at the following links:
https://shorturl.at/XMTE9 (Game 1) and
https://shorturl.at/ijGZf (Game 2).
After Friday, MSU will stay in Morehead to continue its longest homestand of the season by hosting Western Illinois next Saturday and Sunday.
