Ellen Barrett was a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate during the MSU double sweep of Tennessee State.
Posted: April 2, 2018 | Source: The Morehead News
Morehead State (18-8, 2-2 OVC) softball senior infielder Ellen Barrett went a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate during a 6-0 and 2-1 doubleheader sweep of Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State (3-31, 0-6) Saturday afternoon at University Field.
Barrett recorded four singles, a walk, scored four runs, and ripped a two-run home run in the second inning of game one to give the Eagles the early 2-0 advantage on route to the 6-0 victory. Senior catcher Robyn Leighton had two great outings in the batter’s box, also going 4-for-5 with a walk.
The Eagles were also helped out with terrific efforts from senior lefty Chelsea McManaway and junior right-hander Allison Rager. McManaway (12-3) fanned a season-high 15 batters during her shutout victory in the first game, while Rager (5-5) struck out five in her win. The senior McManaway also recorded the first save of her career, coming in to seal the deal in the seventh inning of the 2-1 game-two victory.
“I thought we did a lot of things well,” said head coach David Williams. “We got two great pitching performances between McManaway and Rager and the defense played well behind them, and then offensively, I thought we did a tremendous job of putting the ball in play forcing them to play defense.”
MOREHEAD STATE 6, TENNESSEE STATE 0
McManaway set the tone early by striking out three Tigers in the game’s opening inning on her way to a season-best 15-strikeout performance in the 6-0 win.
Morehead State got on the board in the second inning when Barrett’s two-run dinger cleared the left-center field fence, plating herself and freshman Paige Scruggs. Senior designated player Kylie Holton doubled later in the inning, setting the Eagles up to score the third run of the inning when pinch runner Abigail Rhodes took advantage of a fielding error by Tennessee State.
The Eagles added two more runs in the fourth frame. The first came by taking advantage of another Tiger error that plated Barrett, and the second came across via an RBI single by senior Taylor Wheeler, her lone hit of the game.
Holton, who went 2-for-2, punched in the game’s final run in the fifth inning with an RBI single that plated Barrett.
MOREHEAD STATE 2, TENNESSEE STATE 1
In the finale, Morehead State’s two runs in the fourth inning proved to be enough as the Eagles held on for the 2-1 win.
Leighton went 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI in the fourth to get the Eagles on the board. Two batters after Leighton’s RBI, freshman infielder Kalle Coleman knocked in a run with a single.
Tennessee State scored its only run on a fielder’s choice play in the sixth.
Rager secured the win in the pitcher’s circle while McManaway, following a lead-off double by the Tigers to begin the seventh inning, came in and picked up the final three outs to get credited with the save.
NEXT UP
Morehead State will hit the road to take on Northern Kentucky in doubleheader action on Wednesday, April 4. The games are scheduled to get under way at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
