Baseball 3/29/2023 8:08:00 PM

Aggie baseballers fall twice at NOC-Enid

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
A late lead slipped away in the first game and Murray State could not keep up in game two despite eight extra base hits as the Aggies dropped a conference baseball twinbill at NOC-Enid.

The Aggies held a two-run lead going into the final at bat of the opener but watched the Jets tally three runs for a 6-5 win. The hosts then followed up with an 18-8 decision to drop Murray State to 24-10 overall and 8-6 in league play. They'll return home for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. to finish off the four-game set with NOC-Enid.

Murray ace lefty Colby Langford was solid through six frames, yielding three runs (one earned) on seven hits and struck out five but didn't figure in the decision as the Jets tagged closer for three runs on two hits, two walks and an Aggie error for the victory.

Coach Sam Bjorling's squad built a 5-1 edge in the fifth as they plated two in the fourth and three in the fifth stanza before going scoreless over the final two frames.

The Aggies put together a two-out rally to break the scoreless battle in the fourth as Patrick McCullough singled just in front of a Trace Necessary home run blast.

NOC-Enid got one of those back in the bottom of the frame before another two-out flurry by Murray State in the fifth. Gage Gilchrist walked, Garrett Gruell singled and Clay Jung followed with a run-scoring double to plate both runners. Wilbert Espinal added a RBI single but Murray managed just one more hit the rest of the way.

Espinal notched a pair of hits while Gilchrist, Gruell, Jung, McCullough, Necessary and Jaxon Gless had one apiece.

Murray State took an early 3-0 advantage in the second contest after doubles by Gilchrist and Gruell in front of an Espinal home run. The Aggies had no answer for the Jet offensive attack, however, which tallied three to answer in the bottom of the first inning and tacked on six in the second to take complete command.

Espinal continued his huge day at the plate with four hits, including the homer and a pair of doubles. Gilchrist tossed in two hits with Necessary and Andrew Inman chipping in home runs to go along with a Brady Benedict double.

Dylan Hill took the pitching loss, working one and two-third frames in which he yielded eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and five walks.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Patrick McCullough: Sophomore

#2 Brady Benedict: Redshirt Sophomore

#5 Clay Jung: Sophomore

#7 Wilbert Espinal: Freshman

#13 Gage Gilchrist: Freshman

#25 Dylan Hill: Redshirt Sophomore

#32 Colby Langford: Sophomore

#44 Garrett Gruell: Sophomore

#27 Trace Necessary: Freshman

#12 Jaxon Gless: Freshman

Players Mentioned

#1 Patrick McCullough
: Sophomore

#2 Brady Benedict
: Redshirt Sophomore

#5 Clay Jung
: Sophomore

#7 Wilbert Espinal
: Freshman

#13 Gage Gilchrist
: Freshman

#25 Dylan Hill
: Redshirt Sophomore

#32 Colby Langford
: Sophomore

#44 Garrett Gruell
: Sophomore

#27 Trace Necessary
: Freshman

#12 Jaxon Gless
: Freshman