Jakob Milani
Sports Editor
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Murray State’s baseball team losing streak hit four games as the Racers took an 8-5 loss against Southern Illinois University on Tuesday, April 6.
After coming back to tie the game at five in the bottom of the ninth, the Racers dropped three runs to the Salukis in the top of the 11th to lose their fourth straight game.
Junior left-handed pitcher Shane Burns got the start for the Racers, entering the game with a 3.86 Earned Run Average on the season.
Burns gave up a hit in the top of the first with a single to senior center fielder J.T.Weber, but he managed to work his way out of it by forcing a double play and striking out the last batter to get out of the inning.
The Racers took an early lead in the bottom of the first when junior right fielder Brennan McCullough singled down the left field line to bring sophomore designated hitter Jacob Pennington home for the first run of the game.
The Salukis got a run back in the top of the second inning when junior first baseman Ryan Rodriguez hit a sacrifice flyout that brought home sophomore right fielder Nathan Bandy.
Then, the Salukis took the lead in the top of the third inning with a single from junior designated hitter Darren Taylor. The single brought around junior third baseman Cody Cleveland and senior second baseman Grey Epps, giving the Salukis a 3-1 lead.
A single from junior left fielder Pier-Olivier Boucher brought home Bandy and Taylor for another two runs in the top of third, pushing SIU’s lead to 5-1..
The Racers didn’t have an answer till the bottom of the fifth inning when they had the bases loaded with two outs.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jordan Gould, who relieved the Salukis starting pitcher two batters beforehand, threw a wild pitch behind junior catcher Nick Hagedorn. The pitch allowed sophomore second baseman Riley Hawthorne to dash home from third base and give the Racers a run.
The climb back continued for the Racers in the bottom of the sixth inning with a single from senior first baseman Wes Schad. The single brought in graduate shortstop Jordan Holly and moved the score to 5-3 in favor of the Salukis.
Then, the Racers crossed a run in the bottom of the eighth. Salukis’ senior right-handed pitcher Trey McDaniel allowed Holly to steal second and McCullough to steal third. Following these steals, McDaniel balked on the mound and allowed McCullough to cross home for the Racers third unanswered run.
In the bottom of the ninth, with two runners on base and one out, senior third baseman Bryson Bloomer stepped up to the plate.
Though he hit a flyout to Bandy in right field, it was deep enough for Hawthorne to tag up and score, tying the game at five runs and sending it into extra innings.
The Salukis quickly got a man on base when junior infielder J.T. Ortiz came in to pinch hit for Taylor and was hit by a pitch. Though he advanced all the way to third, a lack of bat contact from SIU left him stranded on base, giving the Racers a chance to score.
With two outs, sophomore left fielder Cade Sammons singled up the middle for his first and only hit in the game. After stealing second and forcing a throwing error, he made his way all the way over to third base. Despite his efforts, Sammons was left stranded on third by the Racers.
The top of the 11th inning came around and the Salukis looked to end the game there. A single from junior shortstop Kaeber Rog brought in Cleveland and Hagedrom, then Weber scored on a wild pitch.
The Racers were unable to get any runs in the bottom of the 11th and the Salukis left Murray, Kentucky, victorious, winning 8-5.
The Racers had 10 hits and 15 strikeouts on 45 at-bats in the game and left 11 runners on base. The Salukis had seven RBIs on 14 hits in 44 at-bats, leaving nine stranded on base.
Murray State falls into a four-game losing streak with a 15-12 record overall and a 1-5 record in OVC play. The Racers travel to take on SEMO in a three-game series on Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9. First pitch for game one is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.
