Story by Gage Johnson, Senior Writer
Game one:
During Murray State’s nine-game losing streak, opposing teams have come up with multiple late comebacks to defeat the Racers.
In the series opener against Belmont University on Friday, the Racers flipped the script and came up with a late comeback of their own. Persistence paid off, claiming a 5-4 victory.
The Bruins jumped out in front early in the series opener. After a leadoff single, senior infielder Ben Kocher homered to give Belmont a 2-0 lead.
Back-to-back doubles for Murray State led to a run early in the bottom of the second. However, the Racers were unable to capitalize any further.
The game then remained at a stalemate until the fifth inning, when a two-run double from senior infielder Kyle Conger pushed the Bruins ahead 4-2.
Murray State fought back in the bottom of the fifth. With the Racers’ backs against the wall, with two outs in the inning, junior catcher Mike Farnell hit a two-run homerun to right field. Darnell’s eighth homer of the season knotted things up at four going into the later innings.
After neither team was able to gain much traction on offense, Murray State was able to break the silence in the bottom of the eighth.
With one out and Farnell on second, graduate student first baseman Ramsey Scott singled and scored Farnell. Scott’s second RBI of the day put the Racers out front 5-4 going into the ninth.
“Ramsey is always going to give you a good at-bat,” said Head Coach Kevin Moulder. “He got fooled on the first pitch, but he put together that big senior at-bat for the game winner.”
Murray State was able to halt Belmont’s offense in the final inning, walking away with the 5-4 victory and snapping its nine-game losing streak.
“It’s a huge weight off of our shoulders,” Moulder said. “We’ve had a tough go. We faced adversity and had some guys step up. This one feels really good.”
The Racers will look to replicate their performance in the second game of the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, at Johnny Reagan Field.
Game two:
The Racers were able to hold on to earn the series win on Friday, holding off Belmont 9-5.
The game was a pitcher’s duel starting out. It wasn’t until the bottom of the third inning that a run had crossed the plate.
Murray State struck first in what was an offensive showcase in the second game of the series. With two outs in the inning, freshman second baseman Grant Wood came up in the clutch with a two-run double to kickstart the Racers’ offense. Sophomore third baseman Davis Sims would follow it up with an RBI single to put Murray State out in front 3-0.
Sophomore outfielder Ryan Perkins added on to the Racers’ lead in the bottom of the fifth. Perkins’ fifth homerun of the year, a two-run bomb, extended their lead to 5-0 going into the sixth.
While Murray State’s offense was clicking on all cylinders, sophomore pitcher Luke Brown was having one of his best outings of the season. Brown gave up two earned runs over seven innings pitched, while striking out three.
“It was a really good outing,” Moulder said. “It was a great pick-me-up for us. [Brown] carried us into the eighth inning.”
After Murray State added two more runs to its total, Belmont tacked on one run in the sixth. Despite the 7-1 deficit, it seemed as though the Bruins were poised for a late comeback win in the eighth.
After scoring one run to cut its deficit to 7-2, the bases remained loaded for Belmont. A bases-clearing double from junior infielder Chas Hadden made it a 7-5 ballgame with no outs in the inning. However, senior pitcher Caleb Hicks bounced back by shutting down the next three batters to end the inning.
The Racers would answer in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two more runs to extend their lead to 9-5. The extra run insurance would not be needed, as senior pitcher Tyler Anderson would hold the Bruins scoreless in the ninth on the way to a 9-5 Murray State victory.
Game three:
Murray State came into this one looking to earn its first series sweep since March on Saturday. However, a late offensive push from the Bruins was the Racers’ downfall, losing 13-10.
Belmont seemed to be in charge right from the start in this one. The Bruins exploded for five runs on five hits in the first two innings of play.
For their third pitching change in as many innings, the Racers brought in sophomore pitcher Alec Whaley to replace freshman pitcher Jake Jones. Whaley was able to halt Belmont’s offensive attack, allowing one run on five hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Whaley would be the only pitcher on the day that worked more than an inning on the mound for Murray State.
“Alec Whaley was phenomenal,” Moulder said. “This was the second week in a row he’s had an outing like that, in which he did everything he could possibly do to give us the win.”
The Racers would score a run in the bottom of the fourth, but it wasn’t until the sixth that they were able to greatly diminish their deficit. A bases-clearing double from graduate student outfielder Gavin Wehby was the big hit in the inning for Murray State, making it a one-run ballgame going into the seventh.
After the Bruins scored a run in the top of the seventh, the Racers answered in a big way. A three-run blast from Perkins gave Murray State a 7-6 lead. Junior outfielder Tyler Duke then scored on a wild pitch, extending the Racers lead to 8-6. Murray State would add two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, giving them a 10-6 lead going into the ninth.
With Murray State seemingly in control and about to clinch the series sweep, Belmont proceeded to take over in the top of the ninth. The Racers walked five-straight batters to start the inning, allowing a run to cross and loading the bases with no outs in the inning. After retiring the next two batters, an array of singles allowed the Bruins to jump out to a 13-10 lead.
This would be all Belmont would need as Murray State would go down quietly in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Bruins the 13-10 victory.
The loss is not taken lightly, as the Racers would’ve taken the seventh spot in the OVC from Belmont had they won the series finale.
Murray State will now prepare to take on Alabama A&M University, a team they lost to 4-1 early on in the season.
Murray State will take the field at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, at Johnny Reagan Field.
