Jakob Milani
Sports Editor
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A 14-game win streak came to an end as the Murray State softball team lost two games in a three-game series at Eastern Illinois on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3.
The Racers historic start to the season fell as they lost game one 8-0 to the Panthers, then dropped game three of the series 5-0.
GAME ONE
Junior right-handed pitcher Hannah James got the first start of the series on Saturday, entering the game with a .97 Earned Run Average (ERA) .
Quickly, James found herself in trouble as she gave up a single from freshman center fielder Jaylen Prichard, which was followed by a two-run home run by junior second baseman Hannah Cravens in the bottom of the first.
James held the Panthers to two runs in the game, until the bottom of the fourth inning when sophomore catcher Lindy Milkowski singled down the left field line to bring Cravens to home plate.
Two more runs came in when graduate right fielder Kendall Fields singled up the middle, bringing home sophomore third baseman Maddie Swart and freshman infielder Mikayla Creasbaum. The three runs put the Panthers up 5-0 heading into the fifth inning.
The Panthers added onto the score in the top of the fifth with a single from Prichard that brought senior shortstop Megan Burton in to score. Another run came across after a wild pitch from James.
The final run for the Panthers came off a single from Cravens that brought Prichard home for the run, which was unarmed from an error. The game was called there, with the Panthers beating the Racers 8-0 in just five innings.
James gave up seven hits but still managed nine strikeouts in the game against 20 batters. The Racers had two hits in the matchup and drew three walks, totaling five baserunners.
GAME TWO
The Racers flipped the script for game two, getting a quick run from senior Logan Braundmeier when she hit a lead-off home run to start the game.
Another six runs came across the plate for the Racers in the top of the second inning on eight total hits. It all began with a single from freshman second baseman Erin Lackey that brought home senior center fielder Jensen Striegel.
Lackey tacked on another run in the top of the third with a home run to put the Racers up 8-0, but the Panthers answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third, with two runs coming in from a single from Cravens.
The Racers added one more run in the top of the sixth with a home run from senior shortstop Sierra Gilmore, which proved to be the nail in the coffin. The Racers defeated the Panthers 9-5.
Murray State had 16 hits through 36 batters in the game, including three home runs. James, who started in game two, had five strikeouts through three and two-thirds innings.
GAME THREE
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jenna Veber got the start for the Racers in game three, coming into the game with a 1.04 ERA .
That ERA took a hit in the bottom of the first when Cravens hit a single to bring Prichard around to score. Burton added on another run in the first with an RBI sacrifice flyout that brought in Swart to make it 2-0 Panthers.
The Racers left a runner on base in the second and third innings, with sophomore first baseman Lily Fischer getting a single in the top of the second and Wilson getting a hit in the top of the third.
Cravens added another run in the bottom of the third inning with a home run. Then, Fields hit a deep home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, making it a 4-0 lead for the Panthers.
Burton added one last run in the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle that brought Prichard across home plate for the fifth and final run.
The Racers ended the game with five hits, but all five runners were left on base. The Panthers had five RBIs on five hits in the ballgame, while striking out six times in the game compared to the Racers one strikeout.
Murray State falls to 25-10 overall with a 9-2 record in OVC play. The Racers continue their season on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10, when they take on Belmont in a three-game series. First pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.
