STARKVILLE, Miss. – To paraphrase the late Vin Scully… In a game that was so improbable, the impossible happened.
Down four runs and to its final six outs, Austin Peay State University's baseball team scored seven unanswered runs, including four in the ninth inning, to down Mississippi State 13-10 and complete a two-game sweep on Wednesday night at Dudy Noble Field.
Austin Peay (4-1) trailed by five runs after the first inning and faced a four-run deficit after seven innings. But the Governors made the most of their six remaining outs.
In the top of the eighth, second baseman Ambren Voitik greeted a new Mississippi State pitcher with an infield single. The Govs turned to Brody Szako to pinch hit, and he brought the Govs new life with a two-run home run to left-center field. Austin Peay gave the Bulldogs no opportunity to catch their breath, hitting the very next pitch to right center field for a solo home run, trimming the deficit to 10-9.
Mississippi State (2-3) would escape further trouble in the eighth, but could not turn the game's momentum. Austin Peay returned in the ninth and opened with back-to-back singles by shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar and first baseman Harrison Brown. After a Clayton Gray sacrifice bunt, Voitik tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
Szako ignited what proved to be the decisive two-out rally with a 10-pitch walk. Catcher Trevor Conley broke the tie with a RBI double down the right-field line, giving APSU an 11-10 lead. Gray extended the lead on the game's very next pitch with another line-drive double down the first-base line, scoring two runs and pushing the lead to 13-10.
The Govs handed the ball to closer Titan Kennedy-Hayes in the ninth and he worked around a one-out double with a pair of ground outs to second base, sealing the win for his season's second save.
Mississippi State built its 5-0 and 10-6 leads on the back of 13 walks issued by Austin Peay pitchers in the first five innings. However, the Bulldogs also stranded nine runners on base in those five innings.
Govs reliever D.J. Merriweather (1-0) – a Clarksville product – came on in the fifth inning and promptly shut down the Bulldogs offense and paved the way for the comeback effort. He picked up his first collegiate win after holding MSU scoreless in his 3.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five.
Conley finished the night 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Designated hitter Lyle Miller-Green went 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI. Szako was 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI.
Mississippi State reliever Cam Schulke (0-1) allowed four runs on four hits in his 1.2-inning outing and was touched for the loss. Hines led the MSU offense with a 2-for-4, three-RBI performance that included a double and two walks.
Next Up for the Govs
Austin Peay opens a four-game homestand with a three-game series against Maryland Eastern Shore. That series opens with a 4 p.m., Friday game followed by noon starts Saturday and Sunday on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park. Following that series, the Govs welcome Gonzaga to The Hand for a noon, Monday game. Tickets for all Austin Peay baseball games are available on Ticketmaster.com.
The Notes
How Sweep It Is: Austin Peay claimed its second series sweep against a Southeastern Conference foe. While the 2024 sweep of Mississippi State is its first road series sweep of an SEC foe, the Govs previously swept a two-game midweek series from the Bulldogs during the 2007 series in Clarksville.
Added Dinger Damage: The Govs added three home runs to their hefty early-season tally. Miller-Green's fifth-inning homer was his fourth this season. Szako and Conley hit their first home runs of 2024. Austin Peay has 12 home runs by eight different hitters.
Laser Show: Austin Peay's offense showed it was up to the challenge in an SEC ballpark, outhitting the host Bulldogs, 24-10. The Govs batted .333 at Dudy Noble Field with four doubles and four home runs (.556 SLG).
