COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- In two very different games, Murray State managed to get past the Golden Eagle Softball team and sweep Friday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader. The Racers took game one 3-2 and squeaked out a 2-0 win in game two.
Freshman Madison Taylor collected three hits while senior Chanelle Spalding and junior Kendall Hooper each managed a two-hit effort as the Golden Eagles posted a combined nine hits in two games.
The Golden Eagles strung together two runs on four hits in the first game, and stranded four runners, while Murray State put up three runs on five hits in the victory.
CheyAnne Gaskey (5-5) stuckout eight in the win for the Racers, while sophomore Taylor Ketchum (7-4) threw the complete game for Tech in the loss.
Murray State struck first, plating two runs in the second when Sarah Anderson sent a shot over the fence. The Racers scored again in the fourth, to take a 3-0 lead, but the Golden Eagles made a comeback in the bottom of the fourth.
Hannah Eldridge was hit by the first pitch of the frame, and advanced on a hard lined single by Taylor. Hooper and Brittney Spalding posted two outs, but Chanelle Spalding singled up the middle notching two RBIs.
The remaining three innings were a defensive standoff ending the contest 3-2.
The second game remained a scoreless until the fifth inning when the first Racer scored. Murray State scored again in the sixth on its second home run of the day stretching to a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, the Golden Eagles had Eldridge in scoring position after she drilled a double down the leftfield line. Eldridge rounded third on a sweet shot by Taylor, but base-running forced Tech's demise when Eldrige got caught between third and home followed by Taylor being thrown out at third for the second and third outs of the inning. No other Golden Eagles reached base for the remainder of the game.
Tech returns to action Sunday as it hosts another OVC doubleheader against Austin Peay. The first game is set for noon.
