MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team fell to Middle Tennessee State by a score of 9-10, Tuesday in their midweek matchup at Reese Smith Jr. Field.

Roland Fanning sent Chance Cox out to the mound for his first start of the year and first at Austin Peay. He threw 2.1 innings, striking out three batters and allowing 5 runs, four earned, on four hits and one walk.

Landen Burch was sent to the mound for the Blue Raiders for his first start of the season in his third appearance. He threw 2.1 innings, striking out just one batter, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk.

How it Happened

Bottom 2nd | MTSU broke open the scoring in the second after a two-out double from Brett Rogers and a two-run shot from Hayden Miller to take the early lead for the Blue Raiders, 0-2.

Top 3rd | The Governors struck back in the next half-frame with their fifth big inning of the season. Nathan Barksdale had himself a one-out single, followed by an Andres Matias walk. Kyler Proctor and John Bay had back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game 2-2. A throwing error from Tyler Minnick scored Proctor. Cameron Nickens then came up and drove a run in with a double to right field to put the Govs up by two, 4-2.

Bottom 3rd | Matt Wolfe would lead off the bottom half with a walk and advance to second after an error by Proctor. Nathan Brewer doubled to right field, driving in Wolfe. Cannon Rice would replace Cox on the mound and get the first batter he faced to ground into a fielders choice. With two outs in the inning, Rogers would drive in a pair of runs on a single up the middle, bringing the score to 4-5.

Top 5th | Jonny Stevens would relieve Cole Torbett, who entered the game earlier for MTSU. Later in the inning, Cole Johnson would reach on an error, scoring Proctor to tie the game 5-5.

Bottom 5th | Aaron Lewis entered the game for Rice after a leadoff single. He recorded an out on the first batter he faced but gave up a two-run home run to Brewer to give MTSU the lead back, 5-7.

Top 6th | Matias reached on an error with one out in the inning. He would later advance to third after a Bay single to left. A pass ball on Minnick allowed Matias to score and bring the deficit back to one run, 6-7.

Bottom 6th | Eston Snider singled to right field with one out in the inning and later advanced to third after stealing second and an error on Proctor. He would score after Wolfe singled through the left side of the infield to extend the MTSU score to 6-8.

Bottom 7th | Kade Foulke entered in the sixth inning for Lewis and would start the seventh. He got a foul out and a strikeout to start the inning. But a triple to right field from Kenny McKinley and a double to left from Rogers plated MTSU's ninth run.

Bottom 8th | Campbell Holt started the inning in relief and hit the first batter he saw. Solomon Washington would come into the game for Holt and strike out the side. But a bases-loaded wild pitch on one of his strikeouts would plate another run and put the blue Raiders up 6-10.

Top 9th | A two-out rally began with a Nickens walk after the inning's first two batters were retired. He scored after Gus Freeman doubled down the left field line on two strikes. Will Jenkins relieved Stevens on the mound but had command issues. He hit Johnson and then walked the next two batters he faced on eight straight balls. Bryant Beranek entered the game to stop the rally but scored Paris Pridgen, who pinch-ran for Trevor Conley, to cut MTSU's lead to one run. He then recorded the final out by striking out Barksdale to end the game.

Wrap Up

Stevens would pick up the win to improve to 1-0 on the year. He threw 4.1 innings for the Blue Raiders striking out four batters, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks.

Lewis was credited the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season. He threw 1.1 innings in relief, striking out three batters and allowing two runs on four hits.

Beranek picked up his first save of the season after facing just one batter and getting the strikeout to end the game.

Notables

Nickens: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, R – Has recorded an extra-base hit in each of his last three games.

Proctor: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R.

Bay: 2-for-5, RBI, R.

Up Next

The Governors will return home to face Eastern Illinois in a three-game weekend series starting at 4 p.m. (CT), Friday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond Hand C. Park. All games will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on ESPN Clarksville 104.1 FM or through the TuneIn app.

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