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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball falls to Indiana State, 11-5

APSU Baseball falls to Indiana State, 11-5

APSU Sports Information

APSU BaseballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team came back from one deficit but could not fend off a second offensive outburst in an 11-5 loss to Indiana State, Sunday at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Austin Peay (8-3) scored the game’s first run when catcher Parker Phillips‘ doubled to drive in second baseman Garrett Giovannelli. However, the Govs would leave the bases loaded as Sycamores starter Tyler Whitbreak struck out two batters after the double.

Austin Peay Baseball loses to Indiana State 11-5 Sunday at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball loses to Indiana State 11-5 Sunday at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)

Indiana State (6-5) wouldn’t wait long to respond to the Govs early run. The Sycamores got back-to-back home runs in the second from catcher Max Wright and third baseman Jake Means to take a 3-1 lead. Left fielder Dane Tofteland would add a fourth run in the third inning.

The Governors would mount a comeback in the fourth, knocking four singles in the frame. Center fielder Imani Willis drove in a run with his and shortstop Garrett Kueber would tie the game, 4-4, with his two-run single.

Indiana State broke the tie immediately in the fifth after shortstop Clay Dungan led off with a double and scored on right fielder’s Roberto Enriquez’ sacrifice fly. The Sycamores broke the game open in the sixth with a five-run outburst. Means drove his second home run of the game to start the rally, Dungan added a two-run double and Enriquez wrapped up the rally with a run-scoring double for a 10-4 lead ISU would not relinquish.

Kueber ended the day 2-for-5 with three RBI, adding a RBI double in the eighth to his earlier hit. Phillips and first baseman Andrew Flaherty also had two hits each.

Govs relief pitcher Josh Rye (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits in three innings.

Dungan led Indiana State with an impressive 5-for-6, three RBI performance. Wright and Means each had two hits and two RBI.

Ames (1-0) came out of the bullpen to pick up the win after tossing 1.2 scoreless frames while allowing just two hits. Ethan Larrison picked up his season’s second save after allowing one run over the final four innings.  

Who Governed The Game: Garrett Kueber

On a day the Govs offense battled, Kueber made the most of his opportunities in a 2-for-5, three RBI performance. His two-run single in the fourth helped the Govs tie the game. Then with a runner in scoring position in the eighth, he made sure the Govs got another run on the board with his season’s sixth double.

Who Governed The Series: Garrett Giovannelli

The other half of the Governors infield had a masterful weekend at the plate. Giovannelli ended the weekend 5-for-11 with a double, home run and five RBI. He also had five walks to finish with an impressive .625 on-base percentage. Giovannelli scored in all three games, including as the first run in Sunday’s finale after earning a one-out walk.  

Govs Notably

Keep On Walking
Austin Peay’s batters continue to rack up walks at a prodigious rate, earning another five walks against Indiana State pitching, Sunday, to finish the series with 23 walks. Austin Peay’s offense has earned five or more walks in every game this season and end the weekend with 76 walks (7.6 per game).

Still Streaking
Center fielder Imani Willis‘ fourth-inning single extended his hit streak to six consecutive games – all since his return to the starting lineup. The Govs middle infield duo of Garrett Giovannelli and Garrett Kueber also have reached base safely in all 11 games this season – Giovannelli extended his streak by with a first inning walk while Kueber went 2-for-5 at the plate.

Double-Digit Ks
It wasn’t another 30-strikeout weekend for the Govs like the past two weekends, but Austin Peay’s pitchers did post their sixth double-digit strikeout performance of the season with 10 strikeouts, Sunday. The Govs ended the weekend with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched against Indiana State.

Next Up for APSU Baseball

Austin Peay begins its first five-game road trip of 2018 when it meets nationally-ranked Ole Miss in a 6:30pm, Tuesday, March 6th contest at Oxford-University Stadium in a game that can be seen on the SEC Network +.

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