NASHVILLE - Senior Eric Davis tossed 3.2 scoreless innings and allowed Austin Peay State University's baseball team to rally from an early deficit en route to a 6-5 non-conference victory against Lipscomb, Tuesday night at Dugan Field.

Austin Peay (28-21) struggled through the first two innings as 10 of the first 12 Lipscomb hitters reached base safely. The Bisons scored three runs in the first after sending eight men to the plate, but left two men on base as reliever Lucas Anderson gout out of the inning with a double play.

Anderson would last just four batters into the second inning, loading the bases with one out. Davis came on and immediately shut down the Lipscomb threat with back-to-back strikeouts. He would go on to throw three more scoreless innings and finished the night with a career-high seven strikeouts.

Davis' pitching effort allowed Austin Peay the opportunity to climb back into the contest and they did with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. A Lipscomb error led to the Govs first run, second baseman Chris Gili able to get home after reaching third on designated hitter Cody Hudson's double.

The Govs cut the lead to one run in the fourth as shortstop Reed Harper hit a double to the wall in center field, allowing center fielder Michael Blanchard to score. The hit extended Harper's hit streak to 27 games. One inning later, right fielder Rolando Gautier singled to score Gili who stood at third base courtesy a two-base Bisons error.

Austin Peay rallied for three much-needed runs in the seventh. Hudson started the effort with an RBI single. Then after a base-running snafu that nearly cost the Govs two baserunners, Blanchard railed a 0-1 pitch past the left fielder and to the wall. Blanchard raced around the bases and finished with a two-run triple that ultimately provided the game-winning run.

Lipscomb pieced together one golden opportunity to take the lead in the eighth. Back-to-back one out singles started the Bisons rally and - after a fielder's choice and a walk to load the bases - third baseman Josh Chism  made the Govs pay with an infield single that took a bad hop and got past shortstop Reed Harper, allowing two runs to score. Reliever Mike Hebert settled back in and struck out the next batter he faced to end the threat.

Alex Belew (2-3), the fifth of seven Govs pitchers on the night, picked up the win with 1.1 scoreless innings in which he allowed no hits, one walk and struck out two. Hebert picked up his season's first save, recording the game's final four outs.

The Govs needed just nine hits in the victory, Gautier and Gili each finishing with two hits.

Alex Ross (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings. M.L. Williams finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Bisons 11-hit attack.

Austin Peay closes out its regular-season schedule with a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at UT Martin. That series begins with a 1 p.m., Friday doubleheader at Skyhawk Field.

-AP-