Murray State baseball fans were treated to a thrilling game on Tuesday night, as the Racers pulled off an incredible comeback with an 8-7 walk-off victory at Johnny Reagan Field. Trailing 7-1 into the fifth inning, the Racers’ lineup mounted a seven-run rally to clinch one of the most memorable games of the season for MSU.
Carson Garner emerged as the hero of the night, hitting a walk-off home run – his fifth of the year – and earning his 39th RBI of the season, a team high.
The Racers’ top two hitters, Logan Bland and Dustin Mercer, played crucial roles in the victory, combining for six times on base with five hits. The duo’s eighth-inning heroics included an RBI triple by Bland, which brought MSU within one run, and an RBI single by Mercer to score Bland and tie the game.
Mercer’s three-hit, three-RBI performance boosted his team-leading batting average to .350, and he remains the only Racer to surpass 100 total bases, with 102. Designated hitter Parker Estes also had a strong showing at the plate, recording two hits, including an RBI double, and reaching base twice more with a pair of walks.
On the mound, Allen Roulette, Thomas McNabb, and Nathan Holler worked together to hold the Lions scoreless for four innings, allowing only one UNA hit. Roulette pitched two hitless frames with two strikeouts, while McNabb gave up just one hit in his scoreless inning.
Holler secured his first win of the season, throwing a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to keep UNA at bay.
The Racers will continue their Missouri Valley Conference campaign this weekend, as they travel to Nashville for a three-game series against longtime rival Belmont.