SC Oklahoma News

Chesnie Hewitt had a huge opening game at the plate and second-ranked Murray State held off a late rally in the nightcap to notch an impressive softball sweep at Grayson County College Monday to remain unbeaten.

Hewitt had two doubles and a home run as part of four hits in the opener, scoring three runs and driving in two others as the Lady Aggies cruised to an 8-0 victory. The second game was a bit more intense against the NJCAA Division I powerhouse Lady Vikings as Murray State made the most of seven hits and Alexa Hopkins slammed the door for the save in a 9-6 triumph.

Now at 14-0 on the season, the second-ranked Lady Aggies will be off until Saturday when they return home to face Metropolitan College out of Kansas City for a noon doubleheader.

The opener was a scoreless battle until the fourth when the Lady Aggies struck for a pair of runs spurred by a Chesnie Hewitt RBI double and Shallen Mershon run-scoring single.

That was plenty of run support for starting pitcher Christina Clark, who tossed five strong innings, scattering five hits while striking out four in notching the victory. Alexa Hopkins chipped in a pair of scoreless frames of relief while yielding three hits and fanning one.

Murray State erupted for five more runs in the sixth to completely break things open, stringing together six singles as Mershon, Kenzie Tuck, Rayna Rock and Brylea Russell all drove in runs. A Hewitt solo homer in the seventh wrapped up the scoring.

In addition to Hewitt's monster day, the Lady Aggies also got three hits from Abby Beck in spearheading the 15-hit assault. K.J. Morgan, Mershon and Russell each added two hits with Mershon and Russell also driving in a pair apiece. Rock and Jayda Hook finished with one hit.

The Lady Aggies looked like they might run away with the second game as well, taking an early 3-0 advantage on a Mershon three-run homer but Grayson answered right back to tie things in the bottom of the first inning with the first of four roundtrippers by the hosts.

Coach Aaron Mullens' club notched four runs in the third stanza in the third innings to regain the lead for good, albeit with some tense moments along the way. Hook tallied the go-ahead RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Karsyn York followed with the first of two doubles in the game, plating a pair.

Hook also had a run-scoring hit in the fourth with Morgan driving in the final Murray State run with a single in the seventh.

Clark recorded her second pitching win of the day with three innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits. Hopkins allowed a solo home run in her final two frames of work, but struck out three, including the final two outs of the game. 

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