APSU Baseball overpowers Youngstown State 9-2

APSU Sports Information

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team unleashed a four home run night, helping support starting pitcher Alex Robles en route to a 9-2 season-opening victory, Friday afternoon, in the second game of the Riverview Inn Governors Challenge at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Robles (1-0) was impressive in the opener, facing just 18 batters (three over the minimum) in his five-inning outing.

Those two strikeouts began a stretch that saw Robles retire 10 of 11 until surrendering a solo home run in the fourth.

Austin Peay (1-0) used the long ball to help Robles get ahead of the Penguins. Junior shortstop Kyle Wilson, who was making his debut as a Governor, led off the bottom of the first with a home run to tie the game. Two innings later, junior Cayce Bredlau, who missed the bulk of 2016 due to injury, hit a two-run blast in his return to the diamond for a 3-1 lead the Govs would not surrender.

The Governors would tack on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before putting the game out of reach with a four-run seventh. Senior outfielder Chase Hamilton led off that frame with a solo home run and senior first baseman Dre Gleason followed with a two-run home run. Sophomore center fielder Imani Willis tacked on the final run with a walk, stolen base and scored on a wild pitch.

Meanwhile, Robles finished his outing with nine strikeouts out of 18 batters faced, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. The Govs bullpen mopped up the Penguins with sophomore lefty Brett Newberg and freshman right-hander Tyler Thompson combining to retire the final 12 batters of the game.

Youngstown State (0-1) had just three hits – a single and two home runs – scattered throughout their lineup. Shortstop Shane Willoughby and first baseman Andrew Kendrick each hit solo home runs.

YSU starter Joe King (0-1) allowed four runs on eight this in his four-inning outing.

Who Governed

Junior shortstop Kyle Wilson did not waste the opportunity to make a positive first impression, rifling the second pitch he saw as the Govs leadoff hitter over the left field wall to tie the game. He later added a RBI single to cap a 3-for-5 day in his debut. Wilson saw little action defensively, but made the most of his one chance with a quick turn off a ball tipped by Robles to convert an out in the third frame.

Notably

Robles Rock Steady in Debut
Senior right-hander Alex Robles got his 2017 campaign off to a solid start, striking out nine in a five-inning outing. He had just two hiccups in the outing, surrendering two solo home runs. However, he retired 10 of 11 in between the home runs, striking out six.

Welcome Back Bredlau
In his first action in nearly a year, junior left fielder Cayce Bredlau delivered the biggest blow of the game with a tie-breaking two-run home run to right center in the third. That hit eventually proved to be the game-winner as it put the Govs ahead 3-1.

Gleason and Hamilton Show Power
Seniors Dre Gleason and Chase Hamilton, the Govs top two returning home run hitters, showed off their power form in the opener. Hamilton led off the seventh inning with a home run and had a double as part of his 2-for-4 outing. Gleason supplied a two-run home run in the seventh to cap a 3-for-4 performance.

Bullpen Stifles Penguins
Behind Robles’ outing, sophomore left-hander Brett Newberg and freshman righty Tyler Thompson kept Youngstown State’s offense bottled up. They combined to retire the final 12 batters, Newberg striking out four, to close the door.

Next up for APSU Govs

Austin Peay continues its play in the Riverview Inn Governors Challenge with an 11:30am, Saturday contest against Illinois State. The Redbirds powered past Indiana State in the tournament’s first game, 17-7, overcoming an early four-run deficit.

Box Score

2 Youngstown State (0-1) | 9 Austin Peay (1-0)