SC Oklahoma News

A pair of dominant wins on the opening day of the Branson Bash Saturday afternoon in Branson, Missouri propelled the Murray State Lady Aggie softball team to a 20-0 record on the season.

The Lady Aggies started with a 9-0 run-rule triumph over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa and then erased an early deficit to thump State Fair Community College, 12-3, in game two. Murray State was slated to meet Fort Scott College and State Fair once in a noon twinbill on Sunday.

In the opener against NOC-Tonkawa, the Lady Aggies bolted to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning and scored in every frame of the five-inning run rule decision.

A walk and singles from K.J. Morgan and Kenzie Tuck loaded the bases in the first before Rayna Rock delivered a two-run single to centerfield. A Tonkawa error allowed another run to score, and Chesnie Hewitt capped the first inning barrage with a RBI single.

Jadyn Hook reached on a bunt single to start the second stanza and rode home on a Morgan triple to highlight a two-run second. Rock, Hewitt and Brylea Russell all contributed singles to help tally two more runs in the third.

Morgan tripled again in the fourth inning and rode home on an Abby Beck single to round out the scoring.

Christina Clark yielded two hits and struck out six in four innings for the pitching victory with Alexa Hopkins closing with a scoreless frame of relief. Morgan notched three hits, including the two triples, while Rock and Hewitt chipped in two hits apiece.

State Fair bolted to a 2-0 edge in the top of the first inning of the second contest before the Lady Aggies responded offensively, scoring in each of the next five frames for another run rule.

Murray State cut the lead in half with a run in its half of the opening frame on a Tuck RBI single with two outs. Russell blasted a solo home run an inning later to tie the game with Karsyn York notching a single before scoring on an error to put the Lady Aggies briefly in front.

State Fair pushed across a tying run in the third but Murray responded with three tallies in its half as well as two in the fourth and four in the fifth to end the game early. Tuck doubled and scored the run that put the Lady Aggies ahead for good.

Hewitt tripled home the two runs in the fourth and Tuck added a game-ending two-run homer in the fifth for her third hit of the game.

York, Morgan, Hewitt and Emma Damato each contributed two hits in the 14-hit Murray State onslaught.

Hopkins notched the pitching victory with two and one-third scoreless and hitless frames of relief, striking out five. 

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