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Parker Phillips’ grand slam powers APSU Baseball to OVC Tournament win over UT Martin

APSU Sports Information

APSU BaseballOxford, AL – Austin Peay State University baseball redshirt freshman catcher Parker Phillips‘ first-inning grand slam catapulted the Governors to a 6-2 victory against UT martin in the opening game of the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship, Tuesday night at Choccolocco Park.

With the win, Austin Peay (27-28) advances to the double elimination portion of the bracket and will face No. 2 seed Morehead State in a 7:00pm, Wednesday night.

Austin Peay pitcher Landon Kelly throws four scoreless innings in 6-2 win over UT Martin. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay pitcher Landon Kelly throws four scoreless innings in 6-2 win over UT Martin. (APSU Sports Information)

The Governors saw their first three batters of the contest reach base via a walk. Phillips stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and drove the first pitch he saw over the fence in left center field for his first career grand slam, giving the Govs a 4-0 lead.

Austin Peay starting pitcher Landon Kelly would make that early lead stand up, tossing four scoreless innings. He would work around a pair of two-out infield singles in the second inning by inducing a ground out to end the frame. Kelly opened the third by permitting UTM second baseman Tyler Albright to single but retired the next six batters he faced.

UT Martin (25-30) would get its best opportunity in the fifth when Kelly issued back-to-back walks to start the inning and a ball got to the backstop allowing the runners to advance. But before the Skyhawks could capitalize a thunderstorm swept in and forced a nearly three-and-a-half hour delay.

After the delay, Austin Peay turned to reliever Caleb Powell (4-4) and Albright welcomed him with a two-run single, cutting the Govs deficit to 4-2 in the fifth. But that was the only hit Powell would allow as he retired the next 11 batters he faced en route to four scoreless innings of relief and the win.  

The two runs the Skyhawks scored would be recovered by the Govs offense in its half of the fifth. After Phillips hit a one out single, right fielder Chase Hamilton hit his season’s 14th home run to right field, giving the Govs back their four run lead.

That wrapped up the game’s scoring as Powell carried the Govs into the ninth where a walk ended his outing. Reliever Brett Newberg would retire two of the three batters he faced before turning the game over to Alex Robles, who needed just two pitches to end the contest for his season’s third save.

Phillips reached base in all four of his plate appearances, ending the night 2-for-2 with four RBI, was hit by a pitch twice and scored twice. The Govs needed just six hits in the win as the offense earned nine walks, assuring every batter reached base once in the contest.

UTM starter Dalton Westfall (5-6) allowed four runs on three hits and seven walks and was tagged for the loss. Albright paced the Skyhawks offense with a 3-for-5, two RBI outing.  

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