THE LEAD
CLARKSVILLE – Junior starting pitcher Alex Robles struck out a season-high eight batters over seven innings and junior second baseman Garrett Copeland had three hits and scored three times to pace Austin Peay State University's baseball team to a 6-2 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Murray State, Thursday night at Raymond C. Hand Park.

THE GOVERNING MOMENTS
Austin Peay scored the game's first four runs as Copeland got the Govs offense started in the first (leadoff single) and third (leadoff doubles) frames. He would score in both innings as APSU jumped out a 3-0 lead. A Robles leadoff walk in the fourth was followed by a right fielder Kyle Blackburn's RBI double for a 4-0 advantage.

Robles made that lead stand up, surrendering lone runs in the fifth and sixth innings and only allowing two hits in an inning twice. He struck out a season-best eight batters with a strikeout in all seven innings.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Third baseman Ridge Smith extended his reached base safely streak to 15 games with a 1-for-3 performance that included a RBI single in the first.

Shortstop Clayton Smithson saw his seven-game hit streak come to an end with a 0-for-4 outing.

Right fielder Kyle Blackburn assumed the longest active hitting streak in his place – his 1-for-4 outing extending his longest career hit streak to seven games.

Blackburn's double also was his fifth extra-base hit since assuming starting right-field duties March 19 at Jacksonville State. He is 5-for-16 with three doubles, a triple and a home run during this stretch.

Outfielder Patrick Massoni returned to the starting lineup after missing the last five games due to an illness. He started with a foul out but then hit his sixth sacrifice bunt. He then had a single in the fifth and a RBI double in the seventh to finish 2-for-3 with a RBI.

Austin Peay had four doubles in the contest – Copeland (2), Massoni and ckburn – and has 12 doubles in its last four games and 49 doubles this season (20 games).

THE FULL RECAP
Robles dodged first-inning trouble, stranding a runner on third base, as part of four scoreless innings to begin the contest. He would hit a batter to start the fifth and saw that runner score after allowing a one-out double. Robles would surrender his second run in the sixth after a one-out single was followed by a two-out RBI double.

Yet by the time Robles allowed Murray State onto the scoreboard, Austin Peay (11-9, 4-3 OVC) had already supplied four runs of support. Junior second baseman Garrett Copeland had a big hand in the early scoring. He led off the first inning with a single and scored on first baseman Dre Gleason's single later in the frame.

Two innings later, Copeland led off the third with a double. After a center fielder Patrick Massoni's sacrifice bunt, third baseman Ridge Smith popped out to the Racers shortstop in shallow left field. Copeland challenged the fielder's arm and slid under the tag at home to supply the game's third run.

Austin Peay would tack on an insurance run in the fourth and two more tallies in the seventh. Copeland again factored into the seventh-inning rally, leading off with a double. He would score on Masson's double to right for a 5-2 lead. Massoni then scored on a wild pitch to set the game's final score.

Copeland led Austin Peay with a 3-for-4, two double, three-run scored performance. The five batters behind him in the order each recorded a RBI. Massoni, who returned after missing the previous five games, went 2-for-3 with a RBI.

Robles (4-2) had a strikeout in each of his seven innings, striking out two in the fifth to end the Racers threat. He surrendered two runs on seven hits and walked three batters. It was Robles' fourth quality start in six outings this season.

Murray State (11-13, 3-4 OVC) finished with eight hits but had two hits in an inning only twice. Catcher Tyler Lawrence and second baseman Caleb Hicks each had two hits to pace the Racers offense.

MSU starter Jack Hranec (2-2) surrendered six runs on nine hits in his longest outing of the season (six-plus innings). He struck out seven batters and walked two but lost for the first time since March 4 against Creighton.

Austin Peay and Murray State continue their three-game OVC set with a 6 p.m., Friday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.