FLORENCE, Ala. – Senior outfielder Cameron Nickens tied the program record for total bases in a single game, matching former Gov Lyle Miller-Green (2023-24), who had 15 against Middle Tennessee State on April 23, 2024. Miller-Green coincidentally hit three homers in the game, which Nickens did in Friday's loss in the Govs' series opener against North Alabama at Northwest Shoals Community College's Patriot Park.
Nickens went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with another program record of three home runs while tallying four RBI.
How it Happened
Top 1st | The Govs came out the gates swinging some hot bats. Kyler Proctor began the game with a triple off the center field wall. He was immediately brought in to score after John Bay hit a deep fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly. Cameron Nickens then stepped up to the plate and hit his 12th home run of the season to extend the lead to 2-0.
Bottom 1st | The Lions had an early baserunner after Alex Wilson doubled on the first pitch he saw from the Govs' starting pitcher, Jacob Weaver. He advanced to third on a ground out by Ryker Billingsley. Weaver was able to retire the next batter on strikes before a throwing error on Andres Matias allowed Wilson to score and put the score at 2-1.
Bottom 3rd | North Alabama had a big inning in the third, scoring four on a pair of home runs from Petey Craska and Matthew Delgado. Those came back-to-back, with Craska's being a two-run shot and Delgado a solo. After giving up a single and a walk to follow the long shots, Gavin Braunecker came into the game in relief of Weaver. He gave up a base hit to load the bases before walking in a run, giving the Lions a 2-5 lead.
Top 4th | Nickens led off the fourth with his second home run of the game for his 13th of the season, making the score 3-5.
Top 6th | Proctor began the sixth with a single to right before Bay walked for two quick baserunners in the inning. Nickens then drove in Proctor on an RBI single to the opposite field. With Bay on third base, Dylan Morrill, the new arm in the inning, threw a wild pitch that allowed him to score and tie the game 5-5. Four batters later, Trevor Conley delivered a big two-RBI single up the middle to give the Govs their first lead since the first inning.
Bottom 6th | The Lions answered back in the sixth to cut the Govs' lead to one run. After retiring the first batter of the inning on a fly-out, UNA got three baserunners on with a single, ground-rule double, and a walk to load the bases. Jonathan Lane then hit a chopper to Matias and beat the throw for an RBI infield single.
Top 7th | Nickens came up with two outs in the inning and mashed his third home run of the day for his 14th on the season. He is the first Gov to have a three-homer game since Lyle Miller-Green against Middle Tennessee State on March 23 last season.
Bottom 7th | Kaleb Applebey began the seventh in relief for Braunecker. He walked the first batter he saw but then got a punchout for the first out of the inning. The next batter, Wilson, reached on catcher's interference before stealing second base to stay out of the double play. Billingsley then tried to lay down a safety squeeze to bring in a run, but the runner was cut off by Applebey, who made the play at the plate. Craska would then deliver a two-out RBI single, followed by another from Delgado, which tied the game 8-8.
Bottom 8th | The Lions would take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, just two batters into the inning. A pitch hit Lane to begin the inning. He came all the way around from first on an RBI double in the right center alley from Nash Rippen.
Top 9th | The Govs tied the game in the top of the inning after a leadoff double from Nickens and an RBI single from Johnson, tying the game at nine runs.
Bottom 9th | Craska led the ninth with an eight-pitch walk. A pitch then hit Wes Walker after falling two strikes behind in the count. Applebey recorded two strikeouts before Rippen singled to right field, scoring Craska from second to walk it off for the Lions' win.
Wrap Up
Luke Davenport picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. He threw 1.2 innings with three strikeouts, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.
Applebey was given the loss after 2.2 innings of work, striking out a career-high six batters in relief. He allowed four runs on four hits, three walks, and two hit batters.
Up Next
The Governors will play in Game 2 of their three-game set against North Alabama starting at 3 p.m. (CT), Saturday, at Northwest Shoals Community College's Patriot Park in Florence, Alabama.
Follow Govs Baseball on Socials
Follow Govs baseball (@GovsBSB) on Instagram and X.
