The Murray State baseball team made it a 3-for-4 weekend as the Racers closed their four-game series with Fort Wayne Sunday on a high note with a 13-2 victory at Reagan Field. MSU pounded out 13 hits and drew nine walks in the win. Brandon Gutzler and Davis Sims led the way offensively, both having 3-for-4 days at the plate, a home run and three RBIs each while Gutzler scored four runs and Sims scored twice. Grant Wood also had a two-hit day and multiple RBIs as he went 2-for-3, collected three ribbies and scored twice.
MSU (7-5) jumped on the Mastodons (3-7) early once again as a Caleb Hicks sacrifice fly RBI to center scored Wood in the bottom of the second. Then in the third, after Fort Wayne was able to tie the game in the top half of the inning, Ramsey Scott and Wood both drew bases-loaded walks that scored runs to make it 3-1 Racers.
The Racers would go on to have three 3-run innings in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. A Gutzler single up the middle began the scoring in the fourth and in the next at-bat, Sims doubled to right center scoring Gutzler and Gavin Wehby to make it 6-1.
In the sixth, Scott doubled down the right field line to bring home Gutzler and then Wood singled up the gut to plate two, pushing the advantage to 9-1. The Mastodons would get a run back in the top of the seventh to make it 9-2 before Gutzler and Sims would hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh to push the lead to 12-2. Gutzler’s was a two-run shot to left center while Sims’ came one pitch later and was sent to left. Cole Womack’s first career hit and RBI in the eighth rounded out the scoring for the Racers in the victory.
Trevor McMurray moved his record to 2-1 with the win as he got the start on the hill. McMurray pitched a season-high six innings and allowed just one run off four hits. Chance Carner, Caleb Hicks and Alec Whaley all pitched one inning of relief and allowed just one unearned run.
(Courtesy MSU Athletics)