Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
rjaco@murraystate.edu
In another matchup of the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border, Murray State Racer softball split a doubleheader with Austin Peay on Tuesday, April 9.
Game one:
Murray State secured three points in its split with APSU, bringing the season total to 33.5-16.5 in favor of the Racers.
In game one, APSU struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second on a throwing error by senior third baseman Brenna Finck. The Governors followed their first run of the game with an RBI single from senior right fielder Natalie Schilling, giving the Govs a 2-0 lead.
The Racers got one run back in the top of the third as Finck sent a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring sophomore right fielder Logan Braundmeier.
APSU went on to get this run back, scoring on a home run from senior third baseman Danielle Liermann in the bottom of the third, giving the Governors a 3-1 lead.
The Governors added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Liermann hit a sacrifice fly out to right field to extend the Governor lead to 4-1.
Freshman second baseman Lindsey Carroll homered to left center in the top of the fifth, the first of her Racer career, cutting the Racers’ deficit to 4-2.
Murray State went scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings, falling to APSU 4-2.
Game two:
APSU got on the board first once again in game two as Liermann singled up the middle, scoring redshirt senior center fielder Kacy Acree.
The Racers responded with two runs of their own in the top half of the third as senior left fielder Lillie Goetz singled to left field, scoring Finck and freshman pinch-hitter Abby Shoulders, giving the Racers a 2-1 lead.
Murray State added another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Sierra Gilmore, putting the Racers ahead 3-1.
The Governors responded with a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the Racer lead to 3-2.
Junior first baseman Lexi Jones homered to right center in the top of the seventh, giving the Racers a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Junior Ellison Barrett closed out the bottom of the seventh for the Racers, throwing a 1-2-3 inning to secure the 4-2 Racer victory.
Murray State will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Martin, Tennessee, to take on UT Martin in a double header starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 12.