APSU Sports Information
South Bend, IN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team scored the game’s first two runs but could not hold on in a 5-2 nonconference loss to Notre Dame, Friday night at Frank Eck Stadium.
Austin Peay (22-26) went to work early against Notre Dame starter Brad Ross, manufacturing runs in both the second and third innings to build an early 2-0 lead.
After a groundout, catcher Alex Sala hit a sharp grounder to first base, but Phillips was able to beat the throw home for the game’s first run.
Second baseman Malcolm Tipler‘s leadoff walk started the Govs third inning push. With left fielder Cayce Bredlau at the plate, Austin Peay got aggressive and put Tipler into motion. Bredlau responded with a double down the left field line to give APSU runners at second and third. Austin Peay would get a second run courtesy right fielder Chase Hamilton‘s sacrifice fly, but could not produce another run.
Meanwhile, Austin Peay starter Josh Rye (6-3) kept Notre Dame’s offense at bay through four innings. The left-hander worked around a single in the first and a second-inning leadoff walk to keep the Irish scoreless. After that walk, he retired the next 10 batters he faced before allowing a fifth-inning walk.
But that walk sparked the Notre Dame (24-26) offense in the fifth. Right fielder Eric Gilgenback leveled the score with a home run to left field. Two batters later, designated hitter Eric Feliz gave the Irish a one-run lead with another home run to right.
Bass (3-7) would help the Irish nurse that one-run advantage. After the double to Bredlau in the third, he would retire eight consecutive batters. Bass would run into a bit of trouble in the sixth after he issued a leadoff walk then a two-out intentional walk, but escaped by inducing a ground out to end the frame.
The Notre Dame bullpen would then retire nine of the final 10 Governors batters they faced in the contest to secure the victory. Reliever Peter Solomon tossed the final two innings, surrendering only one base runner after a two-out error in the ninth, to pick up his season’s third save.
Bass would strike out seven batters in his six innings and worked around four hits and four walks to secure the win.
Left fielder Jake Johnson had the Irish’s only multi-hit outing, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored. Gilgenback’s two-run home run paced Notre Dame’s five-run output.
Rye suffered the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks over his five innings. He struck out five of the 21 batters he faced in the outing. Relievers Brett Newberg and Alex Robles struck out another four batters over the final three innings.
Bredlau’s 2-for-3 outing was the Govs only multi-hit output. Hamilton and Sala each had a RBI without posting a base hit in the contest.
Austin Peay and Notre Dame continue their three-game set with a 3:05pm CT, Saturday contest.
