THE LEAD
CLARKSVILLE – Junior starting pitcher Caleb Powell pieced together his longest outing of 2016 to help Austin Peay State University's baseball team post a 6-5 Ohio Valley Conference victory against UT Martin, Sunday afternoon. The Governors clinched the three-game OVC series, 2-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Govs and Skyhawks traded the lead three times in the first four innings. UTM scored first for the third consecutive game with a single run in the second only to see APSU respond with two in its half of the inning.
UT Martin regained the lead in the fourth with another two runs off APSU starter Caleb Powell. Again, Austin Peay battled right back with three runs in its half of the inning to take the lead for good.
After allowing the two runs in the fourth via a home run, Powell would retire 11 of the final 13 batters he faced to keep UT Martin off the board. The Govs added an insurance run in the fifth for a 6-3 lead which proved crucial as the Skyhawks rallied for two runs in the ninth before their threat was quelled.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Shortstop TJ Conroy provided the big bat in the No. 9 spot in the lineup, posting a career-high three RBI. He gave APSU its first lead, 2-1, with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the second. Conroy then placed a bunt perfectly to allow designated hitter Alex Robles to score on a suicide squeeze.
Powell saw a streak of 17.2 innings without issuing a walk come to an end when he walked the leadoff batter in the sixth inning. The streak stretch back to the Govs' April 24 game at Belmont.
Austin Peay struck out a season-low two times in Sunday's finale. The Govs also finished with more walks (5) than strikeouts for a second consecutive game and the seventh time this season. APSU improved to 4-3 when walking more than striking out.
For just the sixth time since 1979, Austin Peay won all of its home OVC series. In addition, the Govs finished the home portion of its OVC slate with a 12-2 record.
Austin Peay's hopes for the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament remained alive thanks to Eastern Kentucky's come-from-behind win at Jacksonville State. The Govs are just one-half game behind the Gamecocks, but each team has a different number of games remaining. APSU has three games (at SIUE) left while JSU has six games left (at Morehead State and vs. UT Martin).
THE FULL RECAP
Powell (6-2) battled through a tough start that saw him surrender a run in the second and two runs in the fourth as the middle of the Skyhawks order tagged him for an extra-base hit in each frame. In the second, catcher Daniel Kerwin doubled in a run for the early lead. Two frames later, third baseman Ryan Helgren hit a two-run home run for a 3-2 UTM lead.
But Powell settled down after the home run, retiring 11 of the final 13 batters he faced. He would work around a leadoff walk in the sixth and a two-out single in the seventh before bringing his season's longest outing to a close with a strikeout.
Austin Peay (28-17, 18-9 OVC) rallied after UT Martin grabbed the 3-2 lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Governors tied the game, 3-3, with a perfectly executed hit-and-run by left fielder Kyle Blackburn.
Next up, shortstop TJ Conroy placed a bunt perfectly down the first base line as part of a suicide squeeze play that saw designated hitter Alex Robles score to give APSU the lead. Second baseman Garrett Copeland added an insurance run with a single into left center.
The Governors tagged on another run in the fifth, which ultimately proved crucial. Catcher Ridge Smith led off the frame with a double and scored on Robles' single into the left center for a 6-3 APSU advantage.
UT Martin (16-30, 7-17 OVC) would make things interesting in the ninth as three straight batters reached base safely against APSU closer Jared Carkuff. Pinch hitter Andrew Costello drove in two runs with a double to the wall in left center. But Carkuff recovered quickly, needing just one more pitch to induced a game-ending ground out for his season's fifth save.
Powell picked up the win after allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings. The walk he permitted to start the sixth ended a stretch of 17.2 innings without issuing a walk dating back to the Govs' April 24 contest at Belmont.
Conroy led the Govs offense with a 1-for-2, three RBI performance. He drove in two runs with a single in the second, had a RBI on his sacrifice bunt in the fourth before earning a walk and flying out later in the game.
UTM reliever Sadler Goodwin (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing three runs in 1.2 innings . Starting pitcher Shane Seckinger went two innings but did not factor into the decision.
The Skyhawks offense collected nine hits, but no batter had a multi-hit outing. Helgren's 1-for-4, two RBI outing paced the effort.
Austin Peay has a pair of midweek games on the schedule. The Govs host Middle Tennessee in a scheduled 6 p.m., Tuesday contest. Austin Peay then travels to Evansville for a 6 p.m., Wednesday contest.
