CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.
? After missing the sound of opportunity's knock in game one, Austin Peay State
University's baseball team took full advantage of its opportunities in game two
to salvage a split of its Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader, Saturday, at
Eastern Illinois. The Govs dropped game one, 4-3, before posting an 8-4 victory
in game two.
With the split, Austin Peay moved to
25-25 overall and 12-11 in conference play while Eastern
Illinois stands 21-26 overall and 12-11 in league play. The two
teams remained tied for third place in the league standings.
Austin Peay and Eastern
Illinois are scheduled to complete their three-game series with a
1 p.m., Sunday, contest at Coaches Stadium.
GAME 1: Govs miss bases loaded
opportunities in loss
Trailing by one run, 4-3, entering
the ninth inning, Austin Peay loaded the bases twice only to let the opportunities
pass them by. Pinch hitter Zach Upton started the ninth with a single and was
replaced by Andrew Clement. The Govs them got back-to-back bunt singles from
center fielder Rafael Hill and Chad Cunningham to load the bases the first
time. However, shortstop Tyler Farrar's sharp infield hit turned into a double
play, cutting down a run at home and Farrar at first for two outs.
The Panthers then intentionally
walked first baseman Matt Kole- to load the bases again. Catcher Trey Lucas
worked the count full before watching a called third strike that ended the
game.
Austin Peay also saw a bases-loaded
opportunity pass by in the first inning as Eastern
Illinois starter Josh Mueller opened the game with back-to-back
walks to Hill and Cunningham. Farrar sacrificed the pair over to second and
third and Kole struck out for the second out. Lucas walked to load the bases,
but right fielder Will Hogue struck out to end the threat.
Eastern Illinois scored in the third, fourth and
fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead and then held on for the victory. In the third
inning, third baseman Zach Skidmore's two-run double accounted for the game's
first runs. Left fielder Curt Restko and catcher Richie Derback each added RBI
hits, Derback's in the fifth scoring the eventual game-winning run.
Second baseman J.B. Gilbert's
sacrifice fly in the fifth broke up Mueller's shutout bid. Kole's two-run
single in the eighth cut the lead to one run, but the Govs would get no closer.
APSU starter Stephen Huff (5-5) was
tagged for the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits,
three walks and three hit batsmen over 3.1 innings.
Mueller (5-6) picked up the victory
after holding Austin Peay to one run on three hits and five walks while
striking out six over six innings. Reliever Scott Foley recorded his season's
fifth save after two scoreless innings of relief.
GAME 2: Govs jump on early Panther
errors on road to victory
The day's second game hinged on
defense early as Eastern Illinois committed
six errors in the first four innings while Austin Peay's defense turned three
double plays over the same span.
The Govs jumped on the early errors
for two runs in the first, four runs in the second and an added run in both the
third and fourth innings, which proved to be enough offense for starter David Vicini (2-3) who scattered 11 hits and four runs in the complete-game,
seven-inning effort for the victory.
EIU starter Tristan Facer (2-3) was
tagged for the loss after surrendering six runs (three earned) on four hits
over one-plus inning.
Junior Joshua Kemph was 4-for-7 on
the doubleheader. Gilbert and Kole each had two hits and three RBI.
EIU leadoff hitter Brett Nommensen
had five hits in the doubleheader, including a two-run home run in the seventh
inning of game two.
