Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
After some offensive struggles earlier in the week, that was definitely not the case Saturday afternoon at The Ranch as fifth-ranked Murray State exploded for a season-high 17 runs in game one on the way to a conference baseball sweep of Southern Arkansas Tech.

Murray State made the most of 10 hits in a 17-0 whitewashing in game one before holding on for a 5-3 triumph in the nightcap.

The Aggies, who improved to 21-7 overall and 5-3 in league play, will be on the road for a four-game series at National Park College starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

Will Ellis was stellar over four innings in the first contest to record the pitching triumph as he allowed only two hits and struck out seven. Hunter Manning struck out one and allowed no hits in the final stanza of the run rule.

Murray State wasted little time in setting the tone offensively, pushing across five runs in the opening stanza. Wilbert Espinal drove in the first two with a one-out double and two batters later Trace Necessary contributed a two-run double as well. Patrick McCullough and Andrew Tinsley each had a single in the frame as well with Kale Miller recording the other RBI with a sacrifice bunt.

Necessary was one of the catalysts again one inning later as he drove in two more with another double. Tinsley followed with a two-run homer to cap the four-run frame that ballooned the lead to 9-0.

The Aggies sent 12 batters to the plate in the third stanza and tallied another eight runs in the process. Espinal slapped another double for two RBI and Brady Benedict chipped in a run-scoring hit while the hosts capitalized on three Rocket errors as well as four free passes.

Necessary ended with two hits and five batted in while Espinal drove in four with his two hits. Tinsley also added two hits and drove in a pair.

Game two was a much more livelier affair as Murray State took a 5-1 advantage after three innings before holding on down the stretch to win the series despite being outhit 10-8 in the contest.

Murray's big offensive frame came in the first as the Aggies answered an early Tech run with four of their own. Garrett Gruell and Espinal each singled before a game tying hit from Patrick McCullough and a wild pitch put the Aggies in front for good. Ashton Inman also chipped in a RBI single.

The Aggies' final run came in the third as McCullough was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a Necessary single and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Tinsley.

Tyler Zylstra came on in relief to work a perfect nine, including two strikeouts, for the save in the contest. Brody Roe was credited with the victory, tossing six innings in which he yielded two runs on seven hits and struck out nine.

Gage Gilchrist and Espinal had two hits apiece, combining for half of the Aggies' eight total in the game.