Story by Gage Johnson, Senior writer
A four hour, 30 minute slugfest against Austin Peay and Murray State saw the Racers fall 14-11.
A late offensive push from the Governors in the ninth put them on top, dropping Murray State’s record to 17-15.
The Murray State pitching staff has seen its share of struggles early in the season, owning the third-worst ERA in the conference at 6.41. Getting the start on the mound, junior pitcher Blake Clynes and company looked to change their misfortunes in this Heritage Bank Battle of the Border matchup.
Austin Peay looked to put the pressure on Murray State early in this one, bringing in the first run of the ballgame on a two-out single. However, the Racers answered with a short rally in the bottom half of the inning.
With runners on first and second after a single and an error with two outs in the inning, freshman second baseman Grant Wood tattooed a ball over the centerfield fence. Wood’s third homerun of the season gave Murray State an early 3-1 lead.
After claiming the lead in the top of the third, Austin Peay added on to its lead in the top of the fourth, as Murray State failed to get the ball over the plate. Despite only having two hits in the inning, the Racers’ miscues on the mound led to the Governors bringing across four runs in the inning to jump out to an 8-3 lead.
“What happened here tonight was unacceptable,” said Head Coach Kevin Moulder. “We balked twice, and we had 10 walks. You need more than just a couple pitchers, but right now seven through ten isn’t getting it done.”
In a comeback effort, Murray State seemed poised to have a big inning in the bottom of the sixth after a one-out grand slam from junior shortstop Jaron Robinson made it a 10-8 ballgame.
The Racers added another run to their total when Austin Peay let a run score on a hit by pitch.
With the game seeming to lean the Racers’ way, the Governors exploded offensively in the ninth in a final comeback attempt. After driving in a run to make it an 11-10 ballgame, a two-out double brought in two for Austin Peay to give them a 12-11 lead.
The Governors would go on to add two more runs to close a five-run top of the ninth, but they were not necessary as junior pitcher Brandon Vial came in and shut the door. The Racers went down 1-2-3, giving Vial his second save of the season and Austin Peay the 14-11 victory.
There was no shortage of offense in this one, with multiple Racers having more than one RBI in Wood (3), Robinson (4), and junior catcher Mike Farnell (2). However, 14 earned runs and 10 walks, with six of each coming from Clynes, came back to bite them in the end.
Murray State will now head into a series with the 25th-ranked team in the nation in Tennessee Tech University. It will be one of the tougher matchups for the Racers this season, as the Golden Eagles are currently riding a 17-game win streak, and lead the OVC in 13 statistical categories.
“It’s going to be a great challenge,” Moulder said. “I’m excited about them coming in, because we’re playing the team that’s at the top of our conference.”
Murray State will look to upset Tennessee Tech in the first game of the series at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 13, at Johnny Reagan Field.