Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 By Kevin Farr
Murray State Sports Information
MENA, Ark. – Murray State utilized strong pitching and defense to claim the opener but saw its nine-game winning streak snapped in a second game loss at University of Arkansas Rich Mountain in conference baseball action on Saturday.

The Aggies posted a 4-2 triumph in the initial contest but could not hold off the Bucks in a 9-2 defeat in the nightcap as they moved to 28-14 overall and 12-4 in league play. Coach Sam Bjorling's squad will be back on the road Monday for a nine-inning non-conference matchup at Rose State College starting at 2 p.m.

Sophomore stalwart Austin Haley was strong on the mound in five innings of the opener, yielding two runs on six hits with four strikeouts while recording the pitching victory. Jakob Holzer also picked up another save as he fired two frames of scoreless relief, adding one strikeout and a walk.

Murray State notched a run in the opening stanza as Haley singled and eventually scored on a balk. Kaden Monkerud tacked on a single tally in the second inning as he singled and came around on consecutive wild pitches.

Rich Mountain worked even in the third inning, but the Aggies plated a pair in the fifth that proved to be decisive after Brennan Morgan and Tanner Norman connected on back-to-back doubles.

Haley and Monkerud finished with two hits each with one apiece from Junho Son, Morgan, Norman, Grayson Doggett and Marlon Moore.

The Aggies led 1-0 through one frame of game two, but Rich Mountain answered with four in the second to take the lead for good. Son singled and raced around on a Haley triple for the initial Murray State run.

They didn't crack the scoreboard again until the seventh inning when Morgan smacked a solo home run for one of the club's seven hits.

Son led the charge with three hits, including a double, with Haley, Morgan, Norman and Monkerud posting one apiece.

Carson Culbreath, Conner Smeltzer, Kyndon Lovell and Ty Frakes all saw action on the mound for the Aggies with Culbreath tagged with the loss despite six solid frames in which he allowed four runs on five hits and fanned a pair.