Beech Tree News Network

Former Butler County standout and current Murray State pitcher CheyAnne Gaskey earned her second collegiate victory Sunday afternoon against Tennessee State. The Racers (8-4, 3-0 OVC) needed just five innings to defeat the Tigers (6-11, 0-3 OVC) 10-0 to complete the three-game series sweep of TSU. The sweep was the first in the history of the Murray State Softball program. Gaskey struck out three batters over five innings and gave up just three hits to the Tigers.

Alexa Becker started things in the top of the second for MSU, leading off the inning with a triple to the warning track over the head of the TSU right fielder. Ellyn Troup proceeded to score her on the next pitch, singling up the middle of the infield to the right side of second base to take a 1-0 lead.

Troup moved into scoring position on a passed ball and advanced to third on a ground out to the pitcher. Stephanie Edwards walked to put runners on the corners with one out, and Christian Cox followed with a bloop single that landed behind second base between the second baseman and short stop, scoring Troup from third. Cox advanced to second as Edwards was thrown out trying to take third.

Cox would come in to score in the next at bat as Megan Glosser poked a ball in the air that caught fair territory in the dirt behind third base before rolling to the fence in foul territory for a double to give the Racers a 3-0 lead.

MSU tacked on seven more in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of walks early in the inning. Cox and Casey Castile drew free passes around a Glosser bunt single to third to load the bases with one out. Leslie Bridges cleared the bases, hitting her first home run of the year and second of her career for a grand slam to put the Racers up 7-0.

Murray State added three more runs in the inning as Alaina Zloty hit a pinch hit single through the left side of the infield to score Meghan Sims and Mallory Richardson. Zloty scored two batters later on a soft infield single from Glosser, her third hit of the day to push the advantage to 10-0.

CheyAnne Gaskey earned the five-inning win, blanking the Tigers for the second straight MSU shutout. She struck out three in going the distance, allowing three hits and no walks. She improves to 2-0 on the season.

Glosser led the Racers with three hits, pushing her team-best batting average up to .488 through 12 games.

Cox and Troup each added two hits as the Racers out-hit Tennessee State 12-3 in the game.

Cox was the only Racer to score more than one run, tallying a pair as nine different players in navy and gold crossed the plate.

The Racers return to action next weekend in their first home games of the season, hosting Jacksonville State March 16 & 17. Games both days will start at 1 p.m.