MURRAY STATE TAKES VALLEY OPENER OVER EVANSVILLE, 13-6
MARCH 23 2024
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The visiting Murray State University baseball team used a five-run third inning to take control of the contest on Friday night, and the Racers held off a late charge by the University of Evansville Purple Aces for a 13-6 victory in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both schools at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville
“Tonight was a tough one,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “We didn’t get the quality start that we needed on the mound tonight, and Murray State came to the yard and put it on us in all three facets of the game.
“Tomorrow is an important day for us. We are going to face some quality arms once again, but we feel like we have some guys who can answer that. We will need some guys to step up, and our offense will have to go get one for us these next two days.”
Murray State took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI ground out in the second inning, before UE answered right back in the home half of the inning to grab a brief lead. Junior outfielder Ty Rumsey led off the second inning with a solo home run to right-center field for his third home run of the year. Then, after a walk and a single put men on the corners, junior designated hitter Evan Waggoner drove in a run with an RBI ground out to give UE a 2-1 lead.
The Racers would break things open in the third inning, though, scoring five runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run home run by designated hitter Dan Tauken, to take a 6-2 lead. Murray State would tack on two more runs each in the fourth and seventh innings, and a solo run in the sixth to push the lead to 11-2.
Evansville would rally for two runs of its own in the seventh and eighth innings, as junior second baseman Cal McGinnis had an RBI single in the seventh and a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger drove in a run with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to trim the deficit to 11-6. But, that would be as close as UE would come, as a pair of unearned runs by Murray State in the ninth inning provided the final margin of victory.
McGinnis and graduate catcher Brendan Hord had two-hit efforts for UE, while Rumsey added a solo home run. Tauken and outfielder Riley Hawthorne both had two hits and drove in three runs for Murray State.
With the victory, Murray State improves to 15-6 overall and 1-0 in the Valley. Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 9-12 overall and 0-1 in the MVC. The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., with UE sending freshman left-hander Kenton Deverman (2-1, 4.75 ERA) to the mound for the start. Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+
