Following a 26-2 blowout against the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds on March 10, the Murray State baseball team stood 11-6 to begin the year.
The News is recapping the past two weeks and examining what went right and in a few cases, what went wrong over the past eight games.
March 13-15 vs. Lindenwood
Lindenwood’s pitching shut out the visitors in the series opener. Senior pitcher Josh Newell started the game for the Lions, pitching eight innings while only allowing two hits. Murray State allowed two runs in the first inning, with Lindenwood scoring off of both a grounded-into double play and an error. The Lions struck again in the fourth, scoring a two-run single to give Lindenwood the lead they took to the end of the game, winning 4-0. Senior pitchers Nic Schutte and Jackson Lux split time evenly on the mound for the Racers. Schutte started the game, allowing three earned runs before being swapped for Lux ahead of the fifth; his season ERA now stands at 4.15. Lux allowed only two hits while on the mound, with a still-perfect ERA on the season.
Murray State saw much higher offensive production in game two. Senior outfielder Kris Hokenson struck first, scoring on a walk in the first inning. Graduate catcher Parker Airhart joined him soon after, scoring the second run of the inning off a sac fly. Lindenwood attempted to mount a comeback, scoring in the sixth, but a third run from a Lindenwood error in the ninth gave the Racers the 3-1 win. Junior pitcher Jacob Hustedde pitched the majority of the game for Murray State, allowing only a single run in five innings on the mound.
While the Racers hoped for more of the second game in the rubber match of the series, the game appeared much closer to the first contest. In spite of the Racers’ continued offensive output, scoring seven runs over nine innings, Lindenwood’s pitching proved too much to overcome, again winning 4-0 to secure the series victory.
March 17 vs. Middle Tennessee
Murray State’s offense struck early against the Blue Raiders, finding their footing with a four-run fourth inning. Hokensen scored the opening run of the game off a single to left field, with freshman infielder Anthony Perritano singling to center field to score the team’s second run. Graduate infielder Colby Ott scored the final two runs of the inning with a two-RBI double. Despite Middle Tennessee knocking in a single run in each of the next three innings, the Racers held on for the 4-3 victory. The Racers saw a group effort from the bullpen in the win, with eight pitchers taking the mound.
March 20-22 vs. Valparaiso
Game one began quietly for both teams, with the first five innings remaining scoreless. Graduate utility player Connor Chisholm changed this in the sixth inning, rattling off a three-RBI home run, with senior infielder Kainen Jorge adding an additional two runs with a single to right center. Valparaiso responded with three runs at the top of the seventh, but Perritano, Ott and Chisholm answered by adding four runs to the Racers’ total. The Beacons attempted an offensive surge, adding a run in the eighth, but Murray State held on for the 9-4 win. Schutte started the game on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing a single run in the process, bringing his season ERA to 3.66.
Valparaiso, hoping to tie the series, scored early in game two, registering a run in the second for the early 1-0 lead. However, sophomore infielder Connor Cunningham changed this in the fourth, tripling to right center and driving in the tying run. Jorge also tripled to right center in the sixth, scoring two runs to give the Racers the 3-1 lead they ended the game with. Hustedde saw the most time on the mound in the contest, going four innings without allowing a run, bringing his season ERA to 2.05 in the process.
The final game of the series saw an offensive outpouring. The Beacons scored two runs in the top of the second, but the Racers quickly responded, with Cunningham, Ott, and senior infielder Luke Mistone each scoring a run to tie the contest. Hokenson immediately put the team over the edge, knocking in a three-run home run before the inning ended. Valparaiso eventually regained the lead, scoring four runs in the next two innings, but Murray State’s offense found new life at the bottom of the fourth. Cunningham hit a two-RBI double to left field, with graduate outfielder Daylan Pena hitting a single for a third RBI. Ott soon walked, allowing Pena to advance for a run. Chisholm added a final run of the inning off a walk, allowing Perritano to advance home. With two additional runs from Pena and Ott in the fifth and sixth, respectively, the Racers stood at 13 runs. Despite an offensive surge by the Beacons allowing the home team to get within a run of the lead, Murray State held on for the 13-12 victory.
March 24 vs. Kentucky
The top of the first saw the Racers get ahead early, with Cunningham scoring a single run. The Wildcats quickly answered, however, scoring seven runs in the first two innings. Despite Cunningham and sophomore catcher Kinglsey Guthrie managing another three runs for the team in the game, Kentucky’s offense proved too much to handle, with the home squad taking the 14-4 win.
The team went 5-3 over the past two weeks, picking up the majority of its wins in the series sweep against Valparaiso. The team’s offense proved consistent, scoring at least three runs in seven of the team’s contests over the period. Defense did not lack either, holding their opponents to under five runs in all but one of their victories. The team also saw a quality start in the period of time, with Schutte’s six-inning outing against the Beacons in game one of that series.
The Racers’ next series is against the Bradley Braves at Dozer Field. Game one starts at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 27, with additional games at 2 p.m. on March 28 and 1 p.m. on March 29. The final two games will be televised on ESPN+.
