CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.
? A return home provided immediate dividends as Austin
Peay State
University's baseball team snapped its
five-game losing streak with a 10-7 victory against Samford, Tuesday night, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (16-18) scored in each
of the first five innings, including two runs in the second and fifth frames
and a four-run fourth inning. Catcher Josh Purcell's two-run single accounted
for the second inning's scoring. Three RBI singles and a delayed double steal
were the fourth inning's scoring plays. Center fielder Rafael Hill's two-run
home run ? his season's first ? was the fifth inning's tally.
Belmont (12-23) utilized five walks
and shortstop Packy Elkins RBI single to score three runs in the second inning
and briefly take the lead, 3-1, before Austin Peay tied it in the second. The
Bruins would add two more runs on second baseman Daniel Wagner's double,
cutting the lead to 8-5. However, Hill's home run pushed the lead back to 10-5,
securing the lead. Belmont
added solo runs in the seventh and eighth to set the final score.
Austin Peay reliever Jason Stoermer
(2-0) picked up the victory after holding Belmont
to three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings. Closer Daniel Tenholder surrendered one hit in the ninth to record his season's sixth save.
Offensively, the Govs rapped out 13
hits as left fielder Daniel Baggett, second baseman Chad Cunningham and Hill
each had three hits. Baggett ran his streak of consecutive hits to six ? he was
3-for-3 at Samford, Sunday ? before lining out to left field in sixth. Four
Govs had two RBI each.
Belmont reliever Dane Swineheart (2-2) was
tagged for the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits over 2.2
innings. Tyler Graskewicz went the final four innings, surrendering just two
runs.
Elkins was 3-for-4 to lead the
Bruins eight-hit attack.
Austin Peay returns to action when
it travels down I-24 to meet Middle Tennessee in a 6 p.m., Wednesday, contest
in Murfreesboro.
The Govs have lost their last eight meetings to the Blue Raiders.
-AP-
