Story by Gage Johnson, Senior Writer
Two Chinese zodiac signs of the tiger and horse state that the two would be compatible as lovers.
When the Murray State Racers baseball team faced off against the Memphis Tigers Tuesday night, there was anything but love on the field, as the Tigers crushed the Racers’ hopes late in the ninth inning with a 10-6 victory that handed Murray State its ninth-straight loss.
After a rough first inning in which junior pitcher Gray Dorsey managed to escape a jam, he was replaced by fellow junior pitcher Peyton Hayes. Hayes struggled as well in the second inning, and the University of Memphis took advantage.
After loading the bases with one out, freshman catcher Josh Rooker singled, bringing in the first run of the game for the Tigers. Memphis then scored on a fielder’s choice the following play.
Murray State would answer in the bottom of the second with a run of its own. Junior designated hitter Kyle Stevens was a one-man wrecking crew, hitting a two-out triple with two outs. Stevens would go on to score on an error by the Tigers’ shortstop, cutting the Racers’ deficit to 2-1.
Memphis would tack on a run to its lead in the fourth, but it wasn’t until the fifth that the lead shifted places. With the bases loaded, a single from sophomore third baseman Davis Sims scored two to tie the game at three. A single from Farnell would then give Murray State a 4-3 lead heading into the sixth inning.
The Tigers would answer however, with back-to-back singles bringing in a run each, putting Memphis out in front 5-4. The Racers would quickly retaliate, scoring on a groundout to knot the game up at five.
The back-and-forth affair would continue in the seventh, as one of four errors on the day for the Tigers allowed Farnell to cross the plate to give Murray State a 6-5 lead. Memphis had an answer in the bottom half of the inning, as a two-out single tied the game at six.
In the top of the ninth, senior pitcher Tyler Anderson struggled locating his pitches after striking out to the first batters of the inning. After walking two and giving up a single, the Tigers pounced on the opportunity.
“We gave up ten free baserunners,” said Head Coach Kevin Moulder. “We hit four guys and walked six. When you do that, you’re asking for trouble.”
Sophomore infielder Alec Trela hit a grand slam, giving him his fifth RBI on the day.
The blast would be all Memphis would need to claim the victory as the Racers went down one-two-three, giving the Tigers the 10-6 victory.
Riding a nine-game losing streak, Moulder wants his team to keep their heads up and keep grinding to get back to winning ways.
“There’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves,” Moulder said. “You get back to work, and things will turn out being alright if you trust the process.”
Murray State will return to conference play this weekend when they take on the University of Belmont. The first of three games against the Bruins will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 27, at Johnny Reagan Field.
