MURRAY, Ky. (April 1, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team dropped their midweek matchup against Murray State on Tuesday, April 1 by a score of 5-3. The Lions led the Racers in most hitting categories while also outhitting them 8-7.
The Lions (8-18, 5-4 ASUN) hit .242 on the afternoon, earning eight hits. Both pinch hitters Wes Walker and Ryan West earning a hit. When UNA had runners in scoring position they hit .375 for the game.
Murray State (16-8, 2-4 OVC) had a good afternoon but mainly came down to one inning. In the bottom of the fifth, a walk, single and error paved way for a grand slam that put the Racers in front to eventually win.
North Alabama threw six pitchers today with John Allen Stogner earning the start and going 2.2 innings. Carson Howard, Gavin Oswald and Landon Scruggs all earned strikeouts on the afternoon.
Petey Craska picked up where he left off this weekend, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a double while earning a walk. He now has a team leading 14 RBIs on the season, Nash Rippen is the next closest Lion with 12.
Ryker Billingsley scored a run and a double for the night. Wes Walker went 1-for-2 as he filled in as a pinch hitter and earned a run. Rippen, Ryan West and Leighton Jenkins finished with a hit each while Jenkins added a run.
The Lions got going early in this one. Junior centerfielder Billingsley doubled to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat. Catcher Matthew Delgado hit one straight to second base that led to the out at first but moved Billingsley to third. After that, Craska cleaned it up with a single to center field to score Billingsley for the 1-0 lead.
Stogner earned his first start and got straight to work in the opening inning. He got three outs in four batters with stranding one Racer after a double.
North Alabama added a hit from Sherwood in the second inning. Stogner and the defense kept Murray State quiet as they went for two straight three-up and three-down innings.
The top of the fourth had some juice as Craska walked to open it and Rippen singled to second to have two on board. Craska and Rippen tried their wheels as both stole, but Craska was caught at third while Rippen made it to second. Two strikeouts stranded him at second.
However, the juice stayed in the bats as UNA found it in the fifth. Leighton Jenkins reached on an error by the second baseman and then advanced on a wild pitch which forced a pitching change.
Freshman Wes Walker stepped in for Zak Majer at the plate and singled to center to sit runners on the corners. Billingsley walked to load the bases. Delgado hit a fly ball to center field that was caught but scored Jenkins.
Craska then doubled, adding another RBI to his resume which scored Walker but Billingsley tried to add to the total but was out at the plate as the cut-off man got it to the catcher in time.
The fifth worked for both teams as Howard continued to work. The lead off batter walked and the next one singled. The third batter reached on an error by the Lions. Howard earned his second strikeout before the Racers homered to clear the bases and taking the lead 4-3.
Oswald stepped to the mound. Murray State singled before Oswald struck out one and then forced a pop up.
The bottom of the sixth continued for the Racers. Justus Agosto made his third appearance of the year. The first batter doubled to right center while the next singled to put runners on the corners. The next batter grounded into a double play to Lane at second but a Racer scored to lift it 5-3.
Junior right-handed pitcher Justin Battle made his season debut for Agosto in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed one hit but forced three fly outs in his lone inning as Scruggs fills in the next.
The Lions added two hits in the final four innings but fall to Murray State, 5-3.
Pitchers of Record
W – Jackson Ugo (1-0)
L – Carson Howard (0-2)
S – Derek Lebron (1)
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions get an away weekend in Louisville, Ky. for an ASUN conference weekend against the Bellarmine Knights starting on April 4. This is the fourth conference weekend of the year.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
