APSU Governors Baseball sweeps doubleheader against Eastern Illinois

Austin Peay Sports Information

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team opened Ohio Valley Conference action with a doubleheader sweep of Eastern Illinois, Sunday, at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Govs won the opener 11-5 before returning to post a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.

Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois are scheduled to conclude their three-game OVC series with a 1:00pm, Monday contest.

Game 1

Govs break out bats, down Panthers

Austin Peay (7-4, 2-0 OVC) used eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, as part of a 17-hit attack to swamp Eastern Illinois in the series opener.

Center fielder Chase Hamilton‘s two-run home run in the second inning punctuated a three-run frame that gave the Govs the lead for good. Austin Peay then tacked on two runs courtesy starting pitcher Alex Robles‘ double in the third to build a 6-2 advantage.

Eastern Illinois (0-8, 0-2 OVC) scored two runs in the bottom of the third on third baseman Brant Valach’s two-run home run. However, neither team would score for the next four innings as both bullpens scrambled to post zeros.

Robles would depart in the fourth inning after walking back-to-back hitters with one out. He did not qualify for the decision after allowing four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings.

Reliever Levi Primasing (2-0), who picked up the win, followed Robles and retired the two batters he faced to end the Panthers threat. He would allow a leadoff single in the sixth before ending his outing with a groundout.

Austin Peay would tack on insurance in the latter innings. Shortstop Clayton Smithson hit a two-run home run followed by right fielder Craig Massoni’s solo home run in the eighth inning. Second baseman Garrett Copeland and first baseman Josh Wilson each added RBI base hits in the ninth to extend the lead to 11-5.

Massoni’s home run capped a 5-for-5 outing – the first by a Govs hitter since Reed Harper’s 5-for-5 effort against Morehead State on May 5th, 2013. Wilson went 2-for-5 with a RBI while three Govs had two hits each.

Eastern Illinois starter Matt Wivinis (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on 10 hits in five innings. Valach had two home runs in the contest – adding a solo home run in the eighth – as part of a 2-for-4, three RBI outing.

Game 2

Opportunistic Govs stake early lead, bullpen shuts the door

Three of Austin Peay’s first five runs were courtesy Eastern Illinois miscues and the bullpen struck out the last nine EIU hitters to secure the doubleheader sweep.

The Govs scored in each of the first four innings, building a 5-3 lead. Austin Peay took advantage of an error in the first inning, a wild pitch in the third and back-to-back wild pitches in the fourth to claim three runs. Designated hitter Alex Robles added a RBI single in the first and shortstop Clayton Smithson‘s solo home run in the second were the lone RBI in the first four frames.

Eastern Illinois’ offense all came in the first two innings. The Panthers would tie the game at 3-3 in the second as Austin Peay starter Caleb Powell surrendered a solo home run and two doubles in the second.

However, those were the last runs allowed by the APSU pitching staff. Powell went the next four innings without surrendering a run. Powell (3-0) picked up the win after holding Eastern Illinois to three runs on six hits while striking out a career high six batters in six innings.

The highlight of the night came from the bullpen.  Reliever Levi Primasing entered the game in relief and struck out all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings. Closer Kacy Kemmer then struck out the three batters he faced in the ninth to record his season’s first save.

Second baseman Garrett Copeland and Robles each went 2-for-4 to pace the Govs eight-hit attack. Massoni added a sixth hit to his doubleheader total with an RBI single in the sixth.

Panthers’ starter Garrison Stenger (0-3) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on six hits in five innings, but struck out nine APSU hitters. First baseman Caleb Howell’s 2-for-3, one RBI effort led EIU’s six-hit outing.

Box Score – Game 1

Box Score – Game 2