Box Score By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
Nationally top-ranked Murray State College finished off an Arkansas road trip sweep Monday afternoon, blasting National Park College twice in Hot Springs.

The Lady Aggies cruised to 10-1 and 8-2 wins in the doubleheader to improve to 42-0 on the season. Coach Aaron Mullens' unit returns home Saturday for a 1 p.m. twinbill with South Arkansas Community College in the first two of an eight-game homestand.

Murray State left little doubt in game one, taking the lead from nearly the first pitch as Chesnie Hewitt walked and K.J. Morgan singled ahead of a Shallen Mershon three-run homer over the centerfield wall. Abby Beck added a single and scored on Brylea Russell's sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 Lady Aggies.

A single run in the second added to the advantage before the Lady Aggies put it completely away with three tallies in the fourth fueled by Beck's two RBI double as well as another pair in the fifth stanza.

That was plenty of run support for Alexa Hopkins, who twirled all five innings of the run rule, scattering six hits while striking out four. Beck paced the offensive barrage with three hits as well as three runs batted in. Mershon tallied two hits and walked twice, ending with four RBI. Hewitt, Morgan, Jadyn Hook and Emma Damato tossed in one hit apiece.

After a scoreless first for Murray State in the second game, it was almost an identical story as the Lady Aggie bats caught fire while plating two runs in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth inning for a commanding 8-0 edge. Mullens' troops coasted home from there on 11 hits for the game.

Hook got the scoring started with a two-out, two-run single and Morgan blasted a solo homer that made it a 3-0 advantage after three innings. Kenzie Tuck and Rayna Rock smacked back-to-back home runs to lead off the fourth before RBI hits from Beck, Tuck and Rock in the fifth wrapped up the scoring.

It was Beck and Rock that turned in three-hit performances in the nightcap with Tuck notching two hits. Hewitt, Morgan and Hook all added one.

Hopkins fired four shutout frames, yielding three hits, to post the pitching triumph. Ileana Lucio added three innings of relief, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and fanned five.