Box Score By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
SPARTANBURG, SC – A slumbering Murray State offense found its spark Thursday afternoon and the Lady Aggies stayed alive in the NJCAA Division II World Series with a 10-9 victory over St. Louis Community College.

Coach Aaron Mullens' squad smacked four home runs and rode a big performance at the plate from freshman Haili Igou as they held off the Archers in a wild see-saw affair at Tyger River Park to up their season record to 58-6 while matching the school record for victories set a year ago.

The Lady Aggies will try to break that victory mark and advance to the Final Four in their next elimination contest at 8 p.m. Thursday night against either Kirkwood, Iowa or Johnson County, Kansas.

After being stymied offensively with just nine hits through their first three tournament contests, the Murray State bats broke out with 12 hits in the contest with three each coming from Igou and Bradi Harman as they scored at least once in all six innings in which they batted.

Igou set the tone just two batters into the first Lady Aggie offensive opportunity by launching a solo home run over the centerfield fence. Her three-run blast with two outs in the second frame pushed Murray State to a 4-3 advantage.

St. Louis notched two in the fourth before the Lady Aggies answered thanks to a three-run, inside-the-park homer off the bat of Harman to surge back in front 7-5 in the bottom of the frame.

It was far from over however as the Archers countered with another two before a Mattie Richardson two-run blast for a 9-7 cushion through five stanzas.

In the top of the sixth, St. Louis knotted things again. Three straight singles by Harman, Shaylin Midgley and Courtney Grey loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning and Bella Butler was hit by a pitch to force in what proved to be the winning run.

Grey, who had tossed two innings of relief earlier in the game, returned to the circle and promptly retired the Archers in order for just the second scoreless frame of the day to close the victory.

Dara Hamlin picked up the pitching win, twirling three and two third stanzas while yielding five runs on nine hits. Grey added a total of three frames of relief, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts.

Igou smashed two home runs and added a double to account for her three hits, driving in four in the process. Grey and Richardson posted two hits apiece with Midgley and Karsyn York also chipping in one each.