WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Belmont 6, @Murray State 2
Western Kentucky 3,
@Eastern Kentucky 2
@Eastern Kentucky 11, Western Kentucky 6
BELMONT 6, MURRAY STATE 2
MURRAY, Ky. - Belmont scored six unanswered runs to come from behind and best the Murray State softball team, 6-2, Wednesday afternoon at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky.
The Racers got out in front in the second when Taylor Odom doubled to the wall and scored Kristen Bialek. Bialek entered the game as a pinch runner for Jocelynn Rodgers, who led off the inning with a single. In the third, the Racers added to their lead when Jocelynn Rodgers got her second hit of the day to score Kaylee Ranburger, who reached on a single of her own earlier in the frame.
Despite the early lead by Murray State, from the top of the fourth on, it was all Bruins. Chelsey Deloney tied the game for Belmont in the fourth with a two-RBI double. In the fifth, the Bruins scratched out a couple of runs on a MSU error and a fielder’s choice to take a 4-2 lead. In the fifth and sixth innings, Belmont would add one run each on sacrifice flies from Shersty Stanton and Lexi Rouse, respectively, to pick up the 6-2 win.
Rodgers led MSU Wednesday by going 2-for 3 with a RBI, while Jessica Twaddle was 0-for-1 with two walks. Reliever Haven Campbell took the loss for the Racers after allowing one earned run on three hits with a walk over 2.0 complete innings.
Leading the Bruins at the plate was Bailey Sims, who went 3-for-4 on the day with two runs scored. Deloney led with two RBI.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 2; EASTERN KENTUCKY 11, WESTERN KENTUCKY 6
RICHMOND, Ky. - A pivotal fourth inning propelled the Eastern Kentucky University softball team to an 11-6 win over Western Kentucky University to split the midweek twin bill after dropping game one 3-2.
Kelly Wood started out the fourth with a single to right center, followed by Krislyn Campos reaching. Mia Sanchez dropped a great piece of hitting with a bunt to load the bases for the heavy-hitting first baseman. Rachel Minogue delivered a single up the middle to plate a run and made it a one-run ballgame, 4-3.
Johnkyria Alston then stepped to the plate and sent a sacrifice fly down the right field line to push the tying run across and put runners on the lead bases. Hannah Clark kept momentum going with a single to push across Sanchez and take the lead. After tacking on another hit Brittany Oldaker sent a two-run single up the middle to make it 7-4 EKU.
Western Kentucky (27-27) notched two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth to make its final run at the Eastern lead. The Colonels responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to add insurance and ultimately put the game out of reach.
Alston finished the second game 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Oldaker went 1-for-1 with three RBIs and a run scored and Kelly Wood had two hits in three at bats with an RBI.
In game one EKU (23-29, 9-9 OVC) was behind three runs to begin the seventh inning but a single from Clark and two-bagger from Paige Murphy put two runners. Those two were pushed across by ground-outs from Oldaker and Murray. The tying run was stranded on second.
Amber Murray threw out two runners stealing to make it an OVC-leading 16 on the season.