Murray State Routs Kentucky State, 38-1; Bradley Beats W. Illinois
The score hit like a Tito Santana flying forearm or a Dusty Rhodes bionic elbow.
38-1.
Had to be a misprint, right?
Nope.
That was indeed the final score of Murray State’s win over Kentucky State on Wednesday, as the Racers (21-8) set school records for runs (38), RBIs (35), margin of victory (37), and walks (18 – according to the Murray State Media Guide, the Racers’ 18 walks yesterday were a record, though the team’s X feed says it is 2nd all-time, but either way, 18 is many).
The runs record eclipsed a mark that was 75 years old – Murray State scored 31 vs. Lipscomb in 1950. The competitive portion of the contest was well and truly dusted in just 1 inning, as the Racers scored 8 runs in the 1st. After a scoreless 2nd, Murray State piled on with 6 in the 3rd, 4 in the 4th, 11 in the 5th, and 9 more in the 6th. The game was called after 7 innings by run rule. The Racers scored 38 times on 23 hits, including 4 doubles and 6 home runs.
Individually, Murray State mainstays Jonathan Hogart (2-for-2, 2 homers, 4 RBIs); Luke Mistone (1-for-2, 2 runs), Dom Decker (4-for-5, double, 5 runs, 3 RBIs), and Dan Tauken (2-for-2, 2 runs, HR, 6 RBIs) all contributed to the blowout.
But the game also offered a chance to give some other players needed plate appearances who hadn’t seen the field much this season, and many of those players responded in a big way, including:
- Parker Peterson: 2-for-4, 5 runs, 2 RBIs
- Danny Rollins: 1-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs
- Issac Huettl: 2 runs, 2 RBIs
- Charlie Jury: 3-for-7, 4 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 5 RBIs
- Nico Bermeo: 3-for-4, 5 runs, RBI; HR
- David Stokely: 1-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.
But the biggest story of them all was Brady Grabowski. A sophomore from Streator, Ill., Grabowski had made exactly 1 appearance in his collegiate career prior to Wednesday – going 0-for-1 against Western Illinois on Opening Day this season. Nearly 2 months later, he got his chance, playing left field. Grabowski made the most of it, going 3-for-3 with 2 runs, a double, a homer, and 6 RBIs.
No matter what the rest of Grabowski’s career at Murray State holds, years from now, this is a game he’ll be able to tell his kids about. It’s the type of thing college baseball is about, and while it was certainly a tough day for Kentucky State (among many in a 3-29 season), the Racers can only play against the team in front of them on any given day. Such is the life of regional scheduling during the mid-week to avoid significant travel and missed class time.
In all, 11 different Racers had at least 1 hit, 15 scored at least 1 run, and 11 Murray State batters drove in at least 1 run. Six Racer pitchers held the Thorobreds to 1 run on 6 hits. Kentucky State scored its lone run in the 5th inning on an RBI hit from starting pitcher Brady Wooldridge. Kentucky State has allowed 22, 24, 31, and now 38 runs in single games this season. The Thorobreds are 1-21 in the SIAC.
Bradley Ends Losing Streak: The Bradley Braves finally had something to celebrate Wednesday night as they downed Western Illinois, 5-2. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak. Bradley had lost 21 of its last 22 entering Wednesday. Timmy O’Brien did the big damage for the Braves (4-24), hitting a 6th-inning grand slam as Bradley scored all its runs in that frame.
Up 5-2 after 6 innings, the Braves bullpen shutdown the Leathernecks, with Jack Stellano and Reece Clapp not allowing a run over the final 3 innings on 4 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Stellano, who came on the in 6th, got the win, with Clapp earning a save. Starter Brayden Marks went 5 innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits with 0 walks and 3 strikeouts on 72 pitches.
O’Brien now has 9 homers on the season and is one of 3 Valley players this season to hit 3 homers in a game. O’Brien is hitting .242 overall but has an .883 OPS thanks to the homers. O’Brien’s 22 RBIs also lead the Braves. O’Brien has hit 45% of Bradley’s homers this season.
Bradley’s other run came on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Nick Hosie just before O’Brien’s slam. Beau Durbin, Nick Fleckenstein, and Bobby Atkinson each had 2 hits for the Braves.
Bradley has won 11 straight vs. Western Illinois and 22 of the last 25 meetings going back to 2000.
Bruins Fall at Rickwood Field: Belmont had the honor of playing at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, but the Bruins fell to North Alabama, 5-4. Belmont (14-21) scored 4 runs in the 6th on RBI singles from Jake Maddox and Michael Lareau, a wild pitch, and a throwing error.
It was 4-2 Belmont going to the bottom of the 9th inning, but North Alabama RF R.J. Sherwood doubled to score the tying runs, then a throwing error allowed Nash Rippen to plate the walk-off winner.
Rickwood Field, opened in 1910, has been hosting baseball in some form for 115 years. The stadium’s website notes that players such as Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner all played at the site. Rickwood Field hosted a Major League Baseball game on June 20, 2024, when the St. Louis Cardinals took on the San Francisco Giants, as part of a celebration of Willie Mays, the former Giants legend who first signed with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League at age 17 and played home games at Rickwood Field.
Unfortunately, Mays passed away 2 days before the game was played, at age 93.
Today on Valley Diamonds: All is quiet ahead of the 4th weekend of conference play coming up. More about that on the X feed, as well as conference stat leaders tomorrow.
Ed Morgans is the founder of MVCBaseball.com. An Evansville graduate, Ed has written about and broadcast college baseball, while following the sport for 40 years.
Life in the Valley 
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