Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
Top-ranked Murray State College used a six-run flurry to take control of the Plains A District Softball Tournament opener and then blasted its way to a game two victory Thursday in Hot Springs, Arkansas to move within one win of a return to the NJCAA Division II World Series.

The Lady Aggies remained unbeaten at 55-0 after dumping Highland Community College, 7-4, before a 12-0 run rule thumping of 13^th ranked Johnson County Kansas. Coach Aaron Mullens' squad will be in the district title tilt at 2 p.m. Friday at Majestic Park with an if necessary game to follow.

In the opener, the Lady Aggies spotted Highland a 2-0 advantage on a second inning home run before erupting with six straight runs to take control.

Murray State began the rally with a three-run second stanza fueled by singles from Kenzie Tuck, Jadyn Hook and Chesnie Hewitt. Shallen Mershon doubled leading off the third frame and scored on the next pitch as Abby Beck delivered an RBI single.

They plated two more runs in the fourth as Emma Damato and Hewitt posted back-to-back singles and each came all the way around on a K.J. Morgan double to center.

Highland narrowed the gap with two tallies in the fifth but that proved to be it as Alexa Hopkins returned to the pitching circle and the Lady Aggies finished it off with a Beck run-scoring double in the sixth.

Hopkins worked five innings and notched the pitching victory, yielding a pair of runs on two hits and struck out one. Hewitt, Mershon, Beck and Damato all had two hits to pace the Murray State 12-hit offensive charge. Morgan and Beck ended with two runs batted in apiece.

Johnson County has no answer for Hopkins in the nightcap as the sophomore standout fired the shutout while scattering five and striking out two.

Beck provided the ignition to the offense with a first inning grand slam that followed leadoff singles from Hewitt and Morgan as well as Mershon being hit by a pitch. They added four more runs in the third stanza fueled by an RBI hit from Hewitt and two-run double off the bat of Mershon.

A final four-run outburst in the fourth capitalized on four walks as well as run-scoring hits by Hook and Mershon.

Mershon tallied four runs batted in with her two hits as Beck notched four RBI as well. Hewitt chipped in a pair of hits with Morgan, Tuck, Hook and Brylea Russell all adding one.