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HomeSportsAPSU Governors Baseball beats Iowa 7-4; Gary McClure gets 800th Career Win

APSU Governors Baseball beats Iowa 7-4; Gary McClure gets 800th Career Win

APSU Sports Information

Austin Peay State University Governors Sports - APSUClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team rallied back from a pair of two-run deficits and claimed a 7-4 victory against Iowa, Sunday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park.

The win was head coach Gary McClure’s 800th career victory – he is one of 28 active Division I head coaches with 800 career wins.

Austin Peay head coach Gary McClure picked up his 800th career win in the Govs 7-4 victory against Iowa, Sunday. (Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay head coach Gary McClure picked up his 800th career win in the Govs 7-4 victory against Iowa, Sunday. (Brittney Sparn/APSU Sports Information)

Austin Peay (1-2) encountered its first deficit after just the first half inning as Iowa struck for two runs after just four batters. The Hawkeyes opened with back-to-back singles off APSU starter Ryan Quick and, after a fielder’s choice, saw two runs scamper home on right fielder Taylor Zeutenhorst’s single.

The Govs countered with a pair of runs in its half of the first, nearly duplicating the Hawkeyes half inning. A leadoff error and a single set the plate and designated hitter Ridge Smith cleaned the bases with a two-run double, tying the game.

Neither team scored for the next four innings. Iowa broke the tie in the sixth inning with a little help from Austin Peay. Left fielder Kris Goodman singled with one out and advanced to second on a groundout.

Logan GrayGoodman scampered all the way home on a wild pitch that found its way to the backstop, for the inning’s first run. The Hawkeyes extended their lead when pinch hitter Blake Hickman hit his second home run of the series – a solo shot that gave Iowa a 4-2 lead.

Again Austin Peay wasted little time countering the Iowa push. The first three batters in the sixth inning each reached via a walk, but Iowa reliever Matt Allen seemed poised to escape after recording back-to-back strikeouts. Shortstop Logan Gray insured Iowa paid the price for the early walks, with a two-run single up the middle, tying the game 4-4.

Matt WollenzinThe Govs took their first lead of the game in the seventh  courtesy Smith’s sacrifice fly to drive in third baseman Alex Robles, who stood at third thanks to a Iowa passed ball.

Austin Peay extended its lead in the eighth when first baseman Matt Wollenzin led off the inning with a triple, second baseman Garrett Copeland followed with an RBI double and later scored thanks to a wild pitch, giving APSU a 7-4 lead.

Iowa was stymied in the game’s final innings by the Govs pitching duo of sophomore Tommy Hager and sophomore Jared Carkuff. Hager (1-0) recorded the final out in the sixth and added a scoreless seventh en route to the win.

Carkuff followed with scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth to record his first save.  Quick was left with no decision despite tossing four scoreless innings after the two-run first.

Gray led the APSU offense with a 2-for-4, two RBI outing. Robles and Wollenzin also had two hits each. Smith’s two RBI gave him a team-best seven for the series.

Allen (0-1) suffered the loss for Iowa after allowing one unearned run in his 1.1 inning outing. Tyler Peyton started and went five-plus innings, allowing four runs on four hits.

Zeutenhorst led Iowa with a 1-for-5, two RBI effort. Goodman and centerfielder Eric Toole each had two hits.

Austin Peay closes out its season-opening four-game homestand with a 3:30pm, Tuesday contest against Southern Illinois.

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