CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team won its Atlantic Sun Conference series against Bellarmine by sweeping the Knights in its doubleheader, Friday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Game 1 of DH
How it Happened
Austin Peay jumped out in front in the bottom of the first when senior Zion Taylor grounded out to the shortstop, bringing the first run of the game in.
Bellarmine responded right away by putting up two runs in the top of the second on a single to center, putting the Knights in front, 2-1. The Governors then turned right around and got their runs back and more, as junior Kyler Proctor singled to right, which brought in a pair of runs. Then he came in to score when redshirt junior Paris Pridgen doubled down the left field line for a 4-2 lead.
Three more runs came across for the Govs in the bottom of the third before Bellarmine put up two more runs in the fifth on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly. Then, just like before, the Governors put up another three-spot in the bottom of the frame, with redshirt sophomore Cole Johnson capping the inning off with a two-run homer to left for his ninth long ball of the season.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior Ty Wisdom hit a three-run home run to set a single-game high of four RBI, which put the Governors up 13-4.
Bellarmine would bring in two more runs in the top of the seventh, but not before three runs came in for the Governors to end the game in walk-off run-rule fashion for the second consecutive game. Freshman Houston Hebert brought in the first run when he grounded into a double play. The next two came off one swing with redshirt junior Ray Velazquez hitting a walk-off homer to left for his 12th of the season. It was his second consecutive game in which he recorded a walk-off hit. It was also the first walk-off home run by a Governor since Matthew Joslin against Southern Illinois on April 16, 2019.
Junior Cody Airington started the game on the mound and picked up his third win of the season to improve to 3-1 on the season. He threw 4.1 innings and struck out four batters, while allowing four runs to cross the plate.
Proctor's three RBI in the game made it four consecutive games where he has driven in two or more runs. Three of the four have been three-RBI games.
Game 2 of DH
How it Happened
The Governors got on the board before the Knights once again to begin game two, by putting up a big inning in the bottom of the third. Proctor collected a one-out double to the right-center gap before Hebert came up and delivered a two-run homer over the left center field wall for the lead. Then, Pridgen came up and hit his second home run of the season to go back-to-back with Hebert. Two batters later was Taylor, who delivered a two-out triple off the top of the right field wall. He would come in to score on a wild pitch, making it a 4-0 Austin Peay lead.
Bellarmine scratched back for two more runs with one coming in each the fifth and sixth innings. Another run wouldn't come in to score for either team until the bottom of the eighth, when Taylor hit his eighth home run of the season over the batter's eye in center field. It put the Governors up 5-2, which was all they needed, as redshirt senior Jackson Hohensee closed out the game for his second save of the season.
Senior Ryker Walton picked up his second win of the year to improve to 2-2 this season. He threw 5.1 innings, while striking out a season high seven strikeouts, which are the most he has had as a Governor. He allowed just two runs to score on five hits and a pair of walks.
Hebert and Taylor were the only Governors to have multi-hit performances in game two, with Hebert leading the charge with his two-run homer, for the most runs driven in by a player in the contest.
Up Next
The Governors conclude their three-game weekend conference series when they face Bellarmine in game three, starting at 1 p.m., Sunday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.
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