Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
After dropping their third straight game, the Murray State baseball team bounced back in a massive way Friday, posting a single-game season high 20 hits in an 11-9 win over Southern Arkansas Tech at The Ranch.

The fifth-ranked Aggies were on the short end of a 6-4 verdict in the opener of the four-game series and are now 19-7 on the season as well as 3-3 in league play. They will close out the series on Saturday with another 1 p.m. twinbill against the visiting Rockets.

Murray State spotted the visitors from Arkansas a 6-0 advantage in the opening contest and the Rockets maintained that mark into the sixth inning of the seven-inning contest. The Aggies had only four hits – all singles – up to that point before finally finding some life.

Trace Necessary singled with one out and Jaxon Gless followed with a double to kickstart the rally. Brady Benedict then reached on an SAU Tech error to load the bases.

Gage Gilchrist drew a free pass for an RBI and Garrett Gruell notched another on a fielder's choice. Clay Jung drove in a pair with a two-out single, but the uprising stopped there as the Aggies managed only one base runner on a Wilbert Espinal single in the seventh.

Jung had three of the eight Murray State hits and drove in a pair. Espinal and Necessary also contributed two hits.

In the second game offensive explosion, six different players all tallied multi-hit games, including Gilchrist and Gruell with four hits apiece. Even with the scoring eruption, the Aggies still trailed 2-0 in the third before surging in front for good.

Gilchrist ignited a three-run outburst in the bottom of the third with a towering home run to right field. Grell doubled and two batters later Espinal pushed Murray State in front to stay with a two-run blast to center field.

Three more Murray State tallies in the fourth added to the lead to make it 6-2, stringing together singles from Kale Miller, Gilchrist, Gruell and Jung.

SAU Tech closed within 6-4 when the Aggies answered with four runs in the sixth with Gruell providing the key blow on a two-run double to left. Espinal doubled in another with Patrick McCullough chipping in a sacrifice fly that scored a run.

The Aggies were outscored 5-1 over the final three stanzas but it was not quite enough as the Murray State six-run edge held up.

Dylan Hill tossed five innings for the victory, yielding four runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking six. Tyler Zylstra fired the final scoreless frame and allowed just one hit and fanned one for the save.

Gruell doubled twice as part of his four hits and two RBI. Jung contributed three hits and drove in three while Espinal had two hits and three RBI also. Miller and Benedict tossed in two hits each.