APSU Men’s Baseball
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team dropped the opener against Eastern Michigan, 16-15, in dramatic extra-inning fashion.
After sophomore Cody Hudson hit a three-run, eighth-inning, home run to tie the game at 11-all, the Govs turned around and gave up five runs to the Eagles in the 10th inning. That set up another Govs rally in the bottom of the 10th, but despite plating four runs and loading the bases, APSU couldn’t push across the tying run.
The Govs took advantage of a leadoff walk and RBI-double by freshman P.J. Torres, to spark their own fifth-inning rally. Along with Torres, three other Govs had RBI hits in the inning. Hudson reached on an error and scored on a well-executed double-steal. Junior Jon Clinard made 7-6, scoring on freshman Jordan Hankins’ RBI-single.
The Eagles scored three more runs in the seventh, but the Govs answered with two runs in the bottom. In the eighth, Eastern Michigan manufactured another run before Hudson’s game-tying home run.
Four Govs had multi-hit nights, including three hits by Clinard, Hankins and sophomore John Hogan. Hudson went 1-for-7, but had four RBI while sophomore Reed Harper went 1-for-4 with three RBI.
Harper and junior Jeremy Dobbs saw most of the action on the mound. Harper struck out seven, but allowed seven runs on 10 hits. Dobbs, meanwhile, pitched 3.1 innings of relief, striking out five and issuing seven walks. Junior Mike Hebert (0-1) gave up the 10th-inning EMU run and was tagged with the loss despite facing only two batters.
Corey Chaffins (2-0) earned the win in relief for Eastern Michigan. Every hitter in the Eagles lineup had a hit, led by Brent Orhman’s 3-for-6, five-RBI effort.
The nightcap of the doubleheader is currently underway at Raymond C. Hand Park.
