Murray State punched its ticket to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship game Friday evening, defeating Southern Illinois 6-1 at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale. Karlye Graber was masterful in the circle, tossing a complete game and allowing just two hits over seven innings while striking out four. The Racers improved to 29-22 on the season and will now face top-seeded Belmont on Saturday in a championship round that requires Murray State to win twice to claim the title.
Murray State wasted no time setting the tone, plating three runs in the top of the first inning against Saluki starter Brooklynn Danielson. Kynadee Warner drew a leadoff walk and was joined on the bases when Adison Hicks laid down a bunt single. A throwing error allowed the runners to advance, and Parker Holcombe then delivered a two-run double to center. Reagan Towns followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0, chasing Danielson after just 1.1 innings of work. The Racers never looked back from there.
Murray State continued to add insurance runs through the middle innings on the strength of the long ball. Allie Waldron led off the third with a solo home run, and Kenley Minor gave the Racers a 5-1 lead with a solo shot of her own in the fifth. The Racers tacked on one more in the sixth when Katy Huels came home on a Parker Holcombe groundout, capping a rally that was aided by a Southern Illinois error. Southern Illinois' lone run came on an Emily Williams solo homer in the bottom of the second. Graber settled in after that and retired the Salukis in order in three of the final four innings.
Saturday's championship matchup is against the regular-season and tournament top-seeded Belmont. Belmont beat Murray State 4-0 earlier Friday, with ace Maya Johnson delivering a dominant complete-game shutout — striking out an eye-popping 17 batters while scattering just two hits. The Bruins, who entered the day at 39-11, got a two-RBI single from Madison Dolecki in the first inning and a two-run homer from Nicole Hughes in the third to build their comfortable margin. Johnson (now 27-2) was virtually unhittable all afternoon, and Murray State's lineup managed just two singles against her over seven innings.
Because Belmont entered the championship round undefeated, the Bruins need only one win Saturday to claim their second straight MVC Tournament title and the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Racers, meanwhile, must beat Belmont twice in the same day to steal the crown.