Austin Peay Governors Baseball stymied by the Illinois State Redbirds, drop series finale 10-1

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Men’s Baseball

Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team ran into a determined Illinois State squad and could not rally from an early deficit, losing 10-1, Sunday in the final game of a four-game series at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Illinois State (1-3) lost the season’s first three games and came out seemingly determined to change its fortunes. The Redbirds scored the game’s first six runs and made their way through the lineup three times before the end of the fifth inning. The big blast of the game-opening rally came on right fielder Eric Aguilera’s three-run home run in the third that put the vistors up 5-0.

Austin Peay (3-1) was stymied by Illinois State starter Matt Schmitt (1-0), who threw four scoreless innings and allowed only three hits en route to the win.

The Govs left runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings before finally breaking through in the fifth. Austin Peay outfielder Dylan Riner notched his first collegiate hit with one out and scored later in the inning on second baseman Jordan Hankin’s RBI single.

However, the Govs saw the threat ended with the bases loaded and they would not get a runner in scoring position the rest of the way.

Austin Peay starter Andy Cox (0-1) was tagged for the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks over 2.2 innings.

The Govs offense was limited to seven hits. Shortstop Reed Harper finished the day 2-for-3. Hankins was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Illinois State rapped out 11 hits off Govs pitching, including first baseman Kyle Stanton’s 4-for-5, one RBI outing.

Austin Peay begins a four-game road trip when it meets Memphis in a 4:00pm, Wednesday contest at FedEx Park in Memphis.