Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
rjaco@murraystate.edu
Following consecutive six-run comebacks on Saturday and Sunday, Murray State Racer baseball completed a series sweep of Eastern Kentucky on April 28.
The Racers moved to 13-8 in the OVC and 19-21 overall following their three wins over the Colonels this weekend.
Junior right-handed pitcher Justin Thomas picked up the win on Sunday for the Racers as Murray State used six different relief pitchers to get the win.
Head Coach Dan Skirka was proud of his bullpen for getting the job done when called upon this weekend.
“We told the bullpen at the beginning of the season they were going to be one of our strengths,” Skirka said. “Today they did a fantastic job, six innings [giving up] three hits and three walks.”
Each team got one run on the board in the first inning as EKU scored on a throwing error by redshirt freshman first baseman Wes Schad and the Racers responded by scoring on a wild pitch.
A solo home run down the right field line from senior shortstop Jaron Robinson gave the Racers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
EKU wasted no time responding, scoring three runs of its own in the top half of the third on back-to-back RBI singles, taking a 4-2 lead.
Murray State held the Colonels scoreless through four consecutive innings while adding three runs to take a 5-4 lead after seven innings.
A wild pitch by redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Braydon Cook helped the Colonels tie the game at five in the top of the eighth.
With a runner on second and one out in the bottom of the ninth, junior third baseman Jordan Cozart played the hero, helping the Racers capture a 6-5 victory on an RBI single to center field.
In game two, the Racers struck first as Robinson put Murray State up 1-0 on an RBI single to left field, scoring Schad.
The Racer lead quickly disappeared though, as the Colonels added five runs on three hits and two errors, taking a 5-1 lead in the top of the third.
A two-out RBI double followed by an RBI single extended EKU’s lead to 7-1 in the top of the fourth.
The Racer bats came alive in the home half of the fifth as Murray State strung together a six-run effort behind five hits and three errors, tying the game at seven apiece.
Redshirt sophomore left fielder Jake Slunder gave the Racers their first lead since the first inning on an one-out RBI single to right field, putting Murray State ahead 8-7.
Murray State added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning to help secure a 9-7 Racer victory.
In game three, the Colonels jumped out to a five-run lead after two innings of play, scoring three runs in the top of the first and two more in the top of the second.
Redshirt sophomore designated hitter C.J. Bush got the Racers on the board with a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the second, cutting the Racers’ deficit to 5-1.
An RBI double by EKU redshirt senior center fielder Will Johnson extended the Colonel’s lead to 7-1 in the top of the fourth.
Murray State cut EKU’s lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on a two-RBI single from junior catcher Bryan Chilton and an RBI single from Slunder as the Racers trailed 7-4 at the end of five innings.
Bush added his second RBI of the game in the home half of the sixth, scoring Schad on his second sacrifice fly of the game, bringing the Racers within two, 7-5.
Following the seventh inning stretch, junior left fielder Ryan Perkins crushed a two-run bomb to right field to tie the game at seven.
The Racers added the eventual game-deciding run following Perkins’ home run as Slunder scored on a balk by EKU redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher Will Brian. The Racers held the Colonels scoreless through the eighth and ninth innings to secure the 8-7 victory and complete the weekend sweep.
Skirka is happy to see his team producing quality wins in preparation for a tournament run next month.
“You want to keep getting better, keep getting better and keep getting better,” Skirka said. “Getting our first sweep towards the end of the season and winning series now is a lot better than doing it early and not being ready for the tournament.”
Murray State will hit the road for a non-conference matchup with Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.