Baseball 3/16/2024 8:02:00 PM

Murray State baseball drops two at NOC-Enid

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
ENID, Okla. - Offense was definitely in short supply for the Murray State Aggies on Saturday as they managed just two runs and seven hits on the day while dropping a conference baseball twinbill to Northern Oklahoma College.

The Aggies fell by an 8-1 count in the opener before a 14-1 defeat in the nightcap against the Jets, who remained unbeaten at 9-0 in league play. Murray State slipped to 15-14 overall and just 1-8 in conference action.

Coach Sam Bjorling's club is slated to be back on the road Thursday at Redlands Community College for a 1 p.m. single nine-inning contest. They'll host the Cougars for a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 at The Ranch.

The Aggies claimed a 1-0 lead in Saturday's opener, pushing across a third inning run when Mason Shimkus walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Gage Gilchrist's RBI single to right.

Much like in Friday's loss, however, stringing together hits wasn't in the cards as Murray State managed only a pair of singles over the final four stanzas.

The lead was short-lived as NOC-Enid batted around in the bottom of the third inning, taking advantage of three walks, an error and four hits to plate eight runs that proved decisive.

Cash Kuiper was charged with the pitching loss, yielding seven runs (three earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks in two and one-third innings. Kaleb Melvin added two and two-third frames in which he allowed one run on two hits, striking out four. Cooper Ewing chipped in one scoreless frame that included two strikeouts.

Gilchrist notched two of the Aggies' four hits in the game as they added one hit each from Austin Haley and Ethan Rone.

NOC-Enid rolled to a 7-0 lead in the nightcap before Murray State finally got on the scoreboard with a run in the sixth as Jaxon Gless singled and scored on a Kane Springer double. Brennan Morgan also contributed a single before the frame was finished but those hits proved to be all for the Aggies over the course of the contest.

Jakob Blackwell was tagged with the pitching loss, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits over four and two-third stanzas as he added four strikeouts. Javarian Roquemore and Kyndon Lovell each tossed two-thirds of an inning in relief.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Ethan Rone: 3B/RHP; Sophomore; R/R

#6 Jaxon Gless: C/RHP; Sophomore; R/R

#9 Kane Springer: C; Freshman; R/R

#13 Gage Gilchrist: 1B; Sophomore; L/R

#15 Cooper Ewing: LHP; Sophomore; R/L

#16 Kaleb Melvin: RHP; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#5 Austin Haley: INF/RHP; Freshman; R/R

#21 Brennan Morgan: INF; Freshman; R/R

#23 Kyndon Lovell: LHP; Sophomore; L/L

#2 Mason Shimkus: C; Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#3 Ethan Rone
: Sophomore; R/R
: 3B/RHP

#6 Jaxon Gless
: Sophomore; R/R
: C/RHP

#9 Kane Springer
: Freshman; R/R
: C

#13 Gage Gilchrist
: Sophomore; L/R
: 1B

#15 Cooper Ewing
: Sophomore; R/L
: LHP

#16 Kaleb Melvin
: Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#5 Austin Haley
: Freshman; R/R
: INF/RHP

#21 Brennan Morgan
: Freshman; R/R
: INF

#23 Kyndon Lovell
: Sophomore; L/L
: LHP

#2 Mason Shimkus
: Sophomore; R/R
: C