MENA, Ark. – For the second consecutive series against UA Rich Mountain, the Murray State College softball team continued their dominant play with a pair of shutouts over the Bucks.
 
Game 1: Murray State 16, UA Rich Mountain 0 (5 Innings)
Murray State came out swinging early and never looked back in the opener. Cady Ammons set the tone in the first inning with a three-run home run to center, scoring Brylee Fanning and Jaliyah Simmons to give the Aggies a quick 3-0 lead. Moments later, Mercades Lopez added another run on a fielder's choice, extending the advantage to four.
 
The Aggies broke the game open in the second inning. Simmons delivered an RBI double, while Ammons followed with an RBI single. Lopez continued her strong day at the plate with a two-run single, pushing the lead to 9-0.
 
UA Rich Mountain managed to get on the board in the bottom of the second, but Murray State quickly responded.
 
Ammons struck again in the fourth inning, blasting her second home run of the game to make it 10-1 and further cement her dominant outing.
 
The fifth inning served as the finishing blow. Fanning doubled in a run, Simmons tripled to drive in another, and Avery Beauchamp added a two-run single. Lopez capped the scoring with a two-run double, sealing a commanding 16-1 run-rule victory.
 
Isabella Hardeman picked up the win as she threw four innings, while striking out three and giving up one run. Addisyn Wright fired a scoreless inning in relief.
 
Game 2: Murray State 5, UA Rich Mountain 0
The second game proved to be much tighter, with both teams locked in a scoreless battle deep into the contest.
 
The decisive swing came in the top of the sixth inning. With one swing, Kaylee Carter broke the deadlock, blasting a two-run home run to left field that also scored Ammons and gave the Lady Aggies a 2-0 lead.
 
The Lady Aggies would tack on some insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Simmons delivered an RBI double, plating Phillips and extending Murray State's lead to three. Ammons, then, deposited her third home run of the day over the fence, giving the Lady Aggies a 5-0 advantage.
 
Murray State made the late offense stand up, shutting down UA Rich Mountain the rest of the way to secure the sweep with a 5-0 victory. Carolyn Overton was outstanding in the circle this afternoon. Overton earned the complete-game shutout, while striking out six.

With the wins, the Lady Aggies improve to 51-1 on the season and 20-0 in Region 2 play.
 
The Lady Aggies host North Arkansas College on Friday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.
 
Sports Information Director: Justin Wagner | jgwagner@mscok.edu
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