SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team got their first win of the season against Grand Canyon University, 8-5, Sunday in its final game of the 2025 MLB Desert Invitational at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Junior Lyndon Glidewell was given the start by head coach Roland Fanning. In his first Governor appearance, he collected a pair of strikeouts and only allowed one run off two hits over four innings.
Grand Canyon sent their junior southpaw Chance Key out to the mound to try and get the Lopes their second win of the year. He went three innings with a strikeout and a walk but allowed three runs on seven hits.
How it Happened
Bottom 2nd | Nathan Barksdale got his first start since May 26, 2023, and made good use of it. He started his night by getting an infield single to start the bottom half of the second. Next up, Kyler Proctor legged out a bunt single down the first base line. Andres Matias laid down a bunt to first and reached on a fielders choice from Zach Yorke. But a throwing error on the third basemen, Eli Paton, allowed Proctor to move up to third. Soon after, he would score on a wild pitch from Key to put the Govs on the board first. Later in the inning, Brody Szako singled to right field to drive in Matias for a two-run lead, 2-0.
Bottom 3rd | Barksdale, in his second plate appearance, hit his first career triple with two outs in the inning. He then scored on an infield single by Proctor to put the Govs up 3-0.
Top 4th | The Lopes got themselves on the board after an RBI double off the bat of Michael Diaz to score Yorke and make the score 3-1.
Top 5th | Gavin Braunecker entered the game in relief for Glidewell to start the top half. In his first inning, he allowed just a single and induced a pair of flyouts while collecting his first strikeout as a Gov.
Bottom 5th | Gus Freeman started off the bottom half of the fifth with a single to the right side. Austen Jaslove then reached first after being hit by a pitch. Trevor Conley stepped up to the plate and reached on a bunt single to the pitcher. Barksdale continued his success at the plate by hitting his first career grand slam and driving in the game-securing RBI to put the Governors up 7-1. Cameron Nickens, later in the inning, hit a two-out triple. John Bay then reached on a throwing error by Emilio Barreras which scored Nickens, making the score 8-1.
Top 6th | Yorke led the top half off with a hit-by-pitch, the Diaz hit a two-run homer to bring the Lopes back within five runs, 3-8.
Top 9th | The bats stayed quiet on both sides for a while, but pressure came in the last inning after two pinch-hit singles from Billy Scaldeferri and Gunnar Penzkover and a walk from Barreras. A wild pitch from Braunecker allowed Scaldeferri to score and make the score 8-4. An RBI groundout from Eddy Pelc then made the score 8-5. Braunecker then got Troy Sanders to fly out on the warning track after a game-saving diving catch from Bay.
Wrap Up
Braunecker earned the win to improve to 1-0 on the season, while Chance Key was given the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year.
Notables
Barksdale: 4-for-4, HR, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R – Double shy of the cycle, first career grand slam.
Proctor: 2-for-3, RBI, R.
Bay: 1-for-4, 3B, BB – Second triple of the weekend.
Nickens: 2-for-5, 3B, R.
Glidewell: 4.0 IP, 2 K, 4 BB, 2 H, ER.
Braunecker: 5.0 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 5 H, 4 ER.
Up Next
The Governors will go up against Arizona State at 2 p.m. (CT), Monday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Tomorrow's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and also will be broadcast on ESPN Clarksville 104.1 FM or through the TuneIn app.
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