CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Designated hitter Lyle Miller-Green and center fielder Garrett Martin were a hit shy of the cycle and starting pitcher Jacob Kush went seven innings as Austin Peay's baseball team held firm in a 7-5 ASUN Conference victory against Queens, Friday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
In the first-ever meeting between the teams, Queens (6-27, 2-11 ASUN) opened the game with a pair of home runs. Center fielder Andrew McDermott hit a leadoff home run, and left fielder Nick Brassington supplied a one-out solo home run to build a 2-0 lead.
Austin Peay (17-18, 8-5 ASUN) responded immediately with three runs in the bottom of the first. Miller-Green started the rally with a double, and Martin followed with a single, driving in Miller-Green. Shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar walked before first baseman Harrison Brown singled to right field, where the ball evaded the defender. Brown ended up on third base, with Martin and Gazdar scoring to give the Govs a 3-2 lead.
Miller-Green extended the Govs lead to 5-2 in the second inning, driving a two-run home run over the center-field wall. Queens recovered those two runs in the fifth only to see Austin Peay rebuild its three-run lead in the sixth inning. In the sixth, Miller-Green tripled in a run, and Harrison Brown doubled in a run.
Kush (5-1) won his third-straight start. He bounced back from the rough first inning to go a season-best seven innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out eight batters. Reliever Davin Pollard notched his fifth save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning.
Miller-Green was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, and two RBI. Martin was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, and two RBI. Harrison Brown was 4-for-6 with a double and RBI.
Queens' starter Kai Yamagishi (0-4) went three innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. Brassington was 2-for-5 with a double, home run, and RBI.
Up Next
Austin Peay and Queens continue their three-game ASUN Conference series with a 1 p.m. Saturday contest on Maynard Field at Hand Park.
Other NotablesÂ
Kush's seven-inning outing is the longest by a Governors starting pitcher since Harley Gollert's seven-inning outing against Eastern Kentucky on March 11, 2022.
Miller-Green (triple) and Martin (home run) fell short of the cycle. Alumnus Alex Robles has the Govs' last cycle, which he hit at UT Martin on April 29, 2017, in a game in which he also went 5-for-5, was the starting pitcher, and picked up the victory.
Harrison Brown had his second four-hit game of the season, and Miller-Green had his third game with four or more hits.
Kush, reliever Peyton Jula, and Pollard combined for 11 strikeouts. It is the 12th time APSU has struck out 10 or more batters in a game this season.
