CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's baseball team moved into a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference Gold Division following its 10-5 win over Bellarmine to complete its first series sweep of the season, Sunday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.

How it Happened

Bellarmine opened the game with a sacrifice fly from AJ Swader for an early Knights lead in the top of the first inning. But Austin Peay responded with its own sacrifice fly, when senior Zion Taylor hit a deep fly ball to center field to score redshirt junior Paris Pridgen, who led the bottom half of the first off with a triple.

Junior left-hander DJ Merriweather, who started the game on the mound for the Governors, did not allow a run to score in the top of the second before Austin Peay exploded for a seven-run second inning. The Governors scored their seven runs on six hits, which included bases-clearing doubles from junior Kyler Proctor and Taylor.

The Knights put up a big inning of their own in the top of the fifth, when they scored four runs on just two hits and an error. All four runs in the inning did not score on a hit.

Despite the big number put up by Bellarmine in the fifth, the Governors' bullpen shut down the offense, as senior Gavin Alveti threw the game's final 3.2 innings for his sixth save of the season, which is now the second-most in the ASUN.

Graduate Andres Matias came up to the plate in the sixth and secured the game with a one-RBI double to right field, scoring Pridgen on the play after coming home from third.

Senior Brody Lanham picked up his first win of the season after throwing two-thirds of an inning in relief and striking out a batter without allowing a run.

With the win, the Governors move into a three-way tie for second place in the ASUN Gold Division with Lipscomb and Central Arkansas, with a 10-8 conference record.

Up Next

The Governors take their first road trip since April 7, as they face Western Kentucky in midweek nonconference action, starting at 6 p.m., Wednesday, at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

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