Story by Mark McFarland, Assistant Sports Editor
Sophomore infielder Caleb Hicks waits for a pitch in Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Creighton Bluejays.
Murray State baseball struggled last weekend when it was swept by the Creighton Bluejays in three straight games, but it redeemed itself Monday with a win against Indiana University Purdue at Fort Wayne, or IPFW.
Just one week after the Racers scored 71 runs in four games, they came up with only 20 runs and went 3-1.
IPFW
Murray State hosted IPFW Monday afternoon and came away with a 9-4 victory.
The Racers got off to a fast start as they pushed across five runs in the first inning. Junior catcher and outfielder Tyler Lawrence led the team by going 3-3 while hitting in six RBIs. He started off the scoring in the first inning with a two-run double to get the Racers offense started. Junior first baseman Ramsey Scott hit a two-run home run to bring the lead to 4-0. Scott finished the day by going 2-5, with a home run and two RBIs. Sophomore catcher and infielder Kip Moore finished off the scoring in the first inning by hitting a one-run single to bring in sophomore infielder Caleb Hicks.
The Racers added one more run in the second inning and three runs in the fourth inning off of a three-run home run from Lawrence. Junior right-handed pitcher John Lollar earned the win, pitching five innings, giving up one run and striking out seven batters.
CREIGHTON GAME THREE
After losing the first two games, the Racers jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off a home run from junior outfielder and infielder Adam Bauer.
Neither team scored again until the third inning when Creighton put two runs on the board in the top of the inning. Murray State got those two runs back, as three runs were put up in the bottom of the inning off of a triple, single and walk with an advancement on an error to give the Racers a 4-2 lead.
The Racers wouldn’t score again until they pushed across their fifth and final run in the bottom of the seventh inning off of a Bluejay error to bring in senior infielder Nick Moore.
Creighton put up eight more runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to seal the victory and sweep against the Racers.
CREIGHTON GAME TWO
In game two of the series, the Racers came out and scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning after shutting out the Bluejays in the top of the inning.
However, Creighton came around to score six runs in the top of the second inning off of redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Brandon Hicks. Hicks went 5.2 innings in the game, giving up 11 hits, nine total runs, seven earned runs and walked four batters. Junior right-handed pitcher Austin Dubsky came in and shut the door giving up zero runs, one hit and one walk in 3.1 innings pitched.
Offensively, the Racers were led by Kip Moore, who went 2-3 in the game. Murray State added two more runs in the game to lose 9-4.
CREIGHTON GAME ONE
Creighton scored two runs in the first inning and didn’t look back, beating the Racers 7-2 in game one of the series.
Scott led Murray State offensively by going 3-4 on the day and was followed up by junior outfielder Cody Gilbert who went 2-3 with an RBI. Bauer followed closely behind by going 2-4 with an RBI of his own.
The Racers committed one error in the game and used four different pitchers in the first game of the series.
Murray State will travel to UT Martin this weekend to play in its first conference series of the year. The Racers and Skyhawks split the season series 2-2 last season as all four games were played at neutral sites.