By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
Head coach Aaron Mullens earned his 200^th career collegiate coaching win and second-ranked Murray State cruised to a pair of 8-0 wins over Garden City Community College in the softball season opener on Sunday in Tishomingo.

Christina Clark and Alexa Hopkins combined on a three-hit shutout in the first game run rule as the duo struck out six and walked just two.

The Lady Aggies broke a scoreless deadlock in the second stanza when Kenzie Tuck led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a Brylea Russell sacrifice fly. They busted things wide open an inning later, plating six runs as Murray State sent 10 batters to the plate.

A K.J. Morgan single, Shallen Mershon double and Abby Beck single began the flurry before an out was sandwiched in front of Rayna Rock's double, a Jadyn Hook RBI single and Russell's three-run homer to left. Rock chipped in a solo home run in the fifth that capped the scoring.

Game two was much the same story with Ileana Lucio and Hopkins combining on the two-hit run rule shutout that included eight strikeouts and one walk.

Murray State's offense got things rolling early as Chesnie Hewitt led off the game with a triple and scored two batters later on Mershon's sacrifice fly.

The Lady Aggies put together another flurry in the third stanza as Hewitt once again ignited the scoring barrage with a single and stolen base. Mershon, Beck, Rock and Hook all had hits before the frame was over to give Murray State a 6-0 cushion.

They capped the scoring in the fourth as Beck doubled home one and Rock knocked in another. Hewitt, Mershon, Beck, Rock and Hook all had two hits in the Lady Aggie 10-hit onslaught. Rock drove in three.

Mullens' squad will be back in action Monday with an 11 a.m. twinbill at home against McCook Community College from Nebraska.