GAME 20: Murray State 3, Tennessee State 1
GAME 21: Tennessee State 2, Murray State 1 (16 Innings)  
RECORDS: TSU (6-15, 2-11), Murray State (13-15, 10-3)
FIELD: Racers Field
LOCATION: Murray, Ky.
WEATHER: Sunny, 66

MURRAY, Ky. --- Tennessee State received a gutsy pitching performance from Francys King on Friday evening to help earn a split at Murray State. King outdueled a pair of Racers pitchers for 16 innings to help the Tigers gain a 2-1 win in the back end of a double header. MSU claimed game one 3-1.

King improved to 2-1 on the season as she allowed one run on 10 hits and two walks while striking out eight in the marathon game. The freshman would start her day early as she entered in the sixth inning of game one. King retired both batters she faced, including one by strikeout, to end the game.

Anayah Baker-Rowell produced the game winning run in the top of the 16th with a triple to right center to chase home Renae Spears.

Baker-Rowell, Spears and Kayli Mothershed each finished with two hits in the game.

The Tigers were kept off the base baths for nine of the first 14 innings, while King and the defense fended off the Racers who placed runners on base in each of the first seven frames and in scoring position in five of the first six. The Racers continued to keep pressure on the Big Blue with runners in every inning from the 10th through the 15th.

In the opener, MSU scored two runs in the first off Raven Loveless. Ivory Jones would get one back with a solo home run to left field on the first pitch of the second inning.

The Racers added an unearned run in the fourth to extend their lead to 3-1. MSU solidified the win by allowing just two Tigers to reach base after the second inning.

Loveless suffered the loss in the opener and dropped to 2-8.

GAME 1

• The Tigers threatened in the first inning with back-to-back one-out singles by Analeigh Coursey and Bri Vire, but were not able to push either across.
• Murray State did not waste their opportunities as they turned a hit by pitch and two hits into a 2-0 lead.
• Ivory Jones would cut into the lead, driving the first pitch of the second inning over the left field fence, making the score 2-1.
• Starting pitcher Raven Loveless would keep MSU at bay until being tagged with an unearned run in the fourth.
• In the fifth, the Tigers would snap a string of eight straight retired batters as Marisa Mauroschadt was hit by a pitch.
• Mauroschadt advanced to second after Anyah Baker-Rowell won a 10 pitch battle for a walk.
• The duo would move into scoring position on a Coursey groundout, but once again was kept scoreless.
• Loveless was lifted after one out in the bottom of the sixth in favor of Francys King who entered with runners on first and second.
• The Tigers were retired in order in the seventh.
• Loveless fell to 2-8, as she allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits and a hit by pitch while striking out four.
• King dismissed both batters she faced, fanning one.

GAME 2

• MSU put runners in scoring position in five of the first six innings, but were held scoreless.
• The Tigers were held to four base runners over the first nine innings.
• The game remained 0-0 through the first 13 innings.
• In the 14th, Renae Spears recorded the first hit for TSU since the eighth frame.
• Pinch runner M'Lei Woodard advanced 60 feet on an infield single by Baker before both runners advanced on a passed ball.
• Two batters later, Bri Vire reached on an error by the Racers third baseman allowing Woodard to score before Baker was tagged out trying to advance to third.
• MSU evened the score with a run in the bottom of the inning off King.
• Two innings later, Spears collected a two-out single setting the stage for Baker.
• The freshman drilled a ball into the gap in right center, just out of reach of a diving centerfielder, and scampered around the bases for a triple.
• The knock allowed Spears to score from first to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
• King went back out in the 16th and retired the Racers in order for just the third time in the game.
• The freshman pitcher also recorded a three-up, three-down inning in the eighth and ninth frames.
• King tossed 197 pitches to earn the win and improve to 2-1 as she scattered 10 hits and two walks while striking out a career high eight batters.

UP NEXT:
The Tigers close out the Ohio Valley Conference series with a single game at noon tomorrow at Murray State.

NOTES:

• The Tigers wore their gray uniforms with blue socks on Friday.
• Ivory Jones hit her second career home run in the second inning of the first game.
• Bri Vire extended her hit streak to eight with a single in the first inning in game one.
• Vire's hit streak came to an end in the night cap, but extended her games reached streak to nine with a hit by pitch in the ninth inning.
• Francys King entered the day with 12.0 innings pitched on the year; King tossed 16.2 innings on Friday.
• The game is the longest contest of the season in NCAA D-I, edging out a 15 inning contest between Ohio State and Wisconsin.
• The game is the longest in the OVC dating back to 2013.
• Anayah Baker-Rowell registered her third triple of the season; it is the highest single season amount since Courtney Gearlds notched four during the 2016 and 2015 campaigns.