Murray State softball team blasts Southeast Missouri State with big first inning, wins 16-5

Murray State wasted little time avenging a doubleheader loss to the Southeast Missouri State softball team, scoring 11 runs in the first inning on its way to a 16-5 victory in five innings over the host Redhawks on Sunday.

Southeast had opened Ohio Valley Conference play a day earlier with victories of 4-3 and 9-1, but the Racers got to Redhawks freshman pitcher Kelsey Ihns, who was making her first college start.

Ihns did not retire a batter as the Racers opened the contest with three consecutive singles before No. 4 hitter Cayla Levins sent a delivery over the left-field fence for a grand slam and a 4-0 lead.

Madeline Krumrey relieved and retired two of the next three batters, but the third out proved elusive as seven more runs scored on five more hits, a walk and two fielding errors by the Redhawks. Only two of the seven runs off Krumrey were earned.

Krumrey eventually was relieved by Haley Thogmartin, who promptly ended the inning with a strikeout.

In all, the Racers had 10 hits in the inning and sent 15 batters to the plate.

Murray State, which finished with 20 hits in the game, added three runs in the second and single runs in the third and fifth innings.

Southeast (8-12 overall, 2-1 OVC), which had seven hits, plated a pair of runs in both the first and second innings and a single run in the fourth.

Claire Wernig had two hits for the Redhawks, while Danielle Turner had two RBIs.

Levins finished with three hits and six RBIs, while Shelbey Miller and Leah Kesel both had four hits and scored three times apiece for Murray State (10-13, 1-2).

Southeast will visit regional rival SIU Carbondale for a nonconference game at 4 p.m. Tuesday.