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HomeSportsAlex Robles pitches shutout, APSU Baseball beats Jacksonville State 4-0

Alex Robles pitches shutout, APSU Baseball beats Jacksonville State 4-0

APSU Sports Information

APSU Baseball - Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team, for the second straight game, received a stellar pitching performance. Saturday, it was starting pitcher Alex Robles‘ turn as he threw a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Jacksonville State at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Robles (2-2) set the tone right from the opening pitch, retiring the first six batters he faced before allowing a leadoff single in the third inning. He would see a batter reach on an error in the fourth before allowing another single in the fifth. However, none of those three runners would reach second base.

Austin Peay Baseball starts OVC Season 2-0, clinches series win over Jacksonville State, Saturday. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball starts OVC Season 2-0, clinches series win over Jacksonville State, Saturday. (APSU Sports Information)

After the second single against him, Robles settled back in and retired the 10 batters in order.

The next hit was an eighth inning double that supplied Jacksonville State (7-6, 0-2 OVC) with its only runner in scoring position for the contest. Robles would respond with his fourth strikeout in a five-batter span to end the inning.

In the ninth, Robles opened with a strikeout and ground out before issuing a two-out walk – his only free pass of the day. He then ended the day by freezing a batter for his 11 strikeout.

Not only did Robles keep the Gamecocks off balance with his arm, he also beat them with his bat. Austin Peay (8-6, 2-0 OVC) opened the game with leadoff single from left fielder Max Remy and back-to-back bunts from second baseman Garrett Giovannelli and right fielder Chase Hamilton to load the bases. Robles stepped to the plate and laced a single into right center, driving in two runs. First baseman Dre Gleason would add a run courtesy a sacrifice fly and the Govs were out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back.

Robles bounced back from consecutive losses to limit Jacksonville State to three hits and a walk over nine innings. He struck out 11 batters – six of those coming in the final nine outs. Robles needed just 94 pitches to notch his second career shutout and fifth career complete game.

Robles also led the Govs offense with a 2-for-3, two RBI outing. After his game-winning hit in the first, he was hit by a pitch, singled and scored in the sixth and reached on an error in the seventh. Gleason and pinch hitter Cayce Bredlau also had an RBI each without recording a hit in the contest.

Jacksonville State starter Colton Pate (0-2) held Austin Peay to three runs on three hits over five innings but could not top Robles’ outing.

Who Governed

Robles pretty much did it all in Saturday’s win. On the mound, the shutout was his first since May 1st, 2015 as he limited the Gamecocks to three hits and a walk while striking out 11 batters. At the plate, he supplied his own game-winning hit with a two-run single in the first inning as part of a 2-for-3 outing.  

Notably

Second Career Shutout
Robles pieced together his second career shutout against the Gamecocks. His first came back in 2014 as a freshman in an outing against Belmont. It also was his fifth career complete game (first since 2015).

One Short Of A Dozen
Robles struck out 11 batters in the victory, two shy of his career high. Near the end of the game, the senior righty struck out five of six batters (Outs 21-25) and appropriately struck out the game’s final batter.

No Extra Bases Needed
The Govs offense scored its four runs without the benefit of an extra-base knock. The five singles were supplemented by five walks and a hit batsman. It is only the second game this season Austin Peay has been held without a home run.

Another 2-0 Start
Austin Peay has started OVC play 2-0 for the third consecutive season.

Series Winner
Austin Peay clinched the series victory with Saturday’s win, it is the fifth consecutive season the Govs have won their OVC-opening series. However, they haven’t lost an OVC-opening series since 2009 –a series tie at Murray State in 2011 breaks up a longer streak.

Next up for APSU Baseball

Austin Peay and Jacksonville State will complete their three-game series with a 1:00pm, Sunday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.

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