Murray’s 2 Grand Slams Power Lovelady Past Leon, 24-1

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

LOVELADY- Monday afternoon, the Lovelady Lions flexed their muscles as they continued to tighten their grip on first place in District 21-2A. This time the victim was the Leon Cougars.

Since the start of league play, the Lions are 9-1 and have only scored less than 11 runs in one game, a 5-3 win over Leon. On Monday, Lovelady more than made up the difference as they pounded out 14 hits on their way to a 24-1 over the Cougars.

Lovelady plated 11 runs in the first inning led by a Carter Murray grand slam. Murray had driven in the first run of the game when he doubled to right in his first at-bat. By the time he came up again, the Lions led by a score of 7-0 and had knocked Leon’s starting pitcher – Jacob Robinson – out of the game.

Brock Bumpers came on in relief and walked EJ Sandoval. On the first pitch to Murray, the big senior crushed it over the left field fence to push the score to 11-0.

Three innings later, with the Lions now up 20-1, Murray was at it again. Bumpers was still on the mound for Leon when he plunked EJ Sandoval to load the bases and bring Murray to the plate. On a 1-0 pitch, the Cougars’ pitcher made a mistake and Murray made him pay for it.

Murray saw the pitch he wanted, turned on it and in the blink of an eye, the ball cleared the left field fence for his second grand slam of the game. That brought the scoring to a close as the game was called after the top of the fifth inning when the run rule was invoked.

Murray, who has committed to Lamar University to play football, was 3-4 with two home runs, nine RBI, five runs scored and a walk.

EJ Sandoval picked up the win for the Lions as he pitched four innings of two hit ball, giving up a run and striking out six.

Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].