APSU Sports: Austin Peay Baseball
Cookeville, TN – The “Cardiac Govs” struck again as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team let a five-run lead dwindle to one run in the eighth inning before posting a 10-7 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Tennessee Tech, Friday, at Bush Stadium.
Austin Peay (33-21, 18-7 OVC) needed the victory to stay tied for first place in the OVC regular season race with Eastern Kentucky, which posted a win at Murray State earlier in the day. The Governors and Colonels, who are both assured a top-two finish in the league race, will enter the regular-season’s final day battling for the regular-season championship at different venues.
Tennessee Tech (21-31, 10-15 OVC) went into Friday’s contest knowing it needed a victory to maintain its hopes of reaching the OVC Baseball Championship. The Golden Eagles proved they would not go down without a fight despite the deficit, using an Austin Peay seventh-inning error to score a single run.
However, it was the eighth inning that saw the Golden Eagles ratchet up the pressure. Tennessee Tech put the first five batters of the inning on base, sending two Govs pitchers to the bench in the process.
Austin Peay reliever Mike Hebert started the eighth and promptly surrendered back-to-back outfield singles. He made way for Zane Leffew who was unable to stem the sudden Tennessee Tech tide. TTU designated hitter Tevis Sherfield greeted Leffew with an RBI single. Shortstop Chad Hayes was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Center fielder Austin Wulf narrowed the deficit to 8-7 with a single through the right side, ending Leffew’s night.
The Govs turned to closer Tyler Rogers with runners on the corners and no outs in the inning. Rogers struck out the first batter he faced before inducing an inning-ending double play to kill the threat with APSU leading 8-7.
Austin Peay fed off the momentum of that twin-killing, Bachman and catcher Matt Wollenzin hitting towering solo home runs to build the Govs lead back to 10-7.
Rogers could not shut the door without the Golden Eagles making a last threat. Tennessee Tech saw consecutive batters hit by a pitch with one out. However, Rogers settled in and got a strike out and a ground out to end the contest.
Austin Peay starter Casey Delgado (7-4) picked up the win after holding Tennessee Tech to four runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out seven over 6.1 innings. Rogers’ six-out performance was good for his season’s 11th save, tying the single-season mark held by Daniel Tenholder (2008).
Tennessee Tech starter Matthew Shepherd (4-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs on six hits over five innings. Wulf led the Golden Eagles offense with a 3-for-5, two RBI performance.
Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech will conclude the regular-season slate with a 1:00pm, Saturday contest.
Notes: Bachman finished the night with 14 home runs this season, the most by a Govs batter since Michael Johnson’s 18 home run campaign in 2002 and the seventh-most in a single season. Austin Peay first baseman Tyler Childress was 0-for-3 but walked in the first inning and has reached base safely in 22 consecutive games. Tennessee Tech was eliminated from the OVC Baseball Championship with the loss.
The regular-season’s final day will come down to pairing decisions as the six-team field is set. Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky, who are both on the road, will play for the No. 1 and 2 seeds. Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State will play one another in a game to determine the No. 3 and 4 seeds. Southeast Missouri and Morehead State will play at their respective home fields to determine the No. 5 and 6 seeds.
OVC Baseball Standings
| Team | OVC | Overall |
| Austin Peay | 18-7 | 33-21 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 18-7 | 30-21 |
| Jacksonville State | 16-10 | 25-28 |
| Eastern Illinois | 15-10 | 26-26 |
| Morehead State | 12-14 | 27-25 |
| SIUE | 12-14 | 26-28 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 12-14 | 21-33 |
| Tennessee Tech | 10-15 | 21-31 |
| Murray State | 8-18 | 23-32 |
| UT Martin | 7-19 | 13-40 |
Box Score
Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech
May 18th, 2012 at Cookeville, TN (Bush Stadium)
| Player | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | so | po | a | lob | |
| BLANCHARD, Michael cf | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| CLINARD, Jon dh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| HANKINS, Jordan 2b | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | |
| HARPER, Reed ss | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| BACHMAN, Greg 3b | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| HUDSON, Cody lf | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| WOLLENZIN, Matt c | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| CHILDRESS, Tyler 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| GAUTIER, Rolando rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DELGADO, Casey p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| HEBERT, Mike p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LEFFEW, Zane p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| ROGERS, Tyler p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Totals | 37 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 13 | 9 | |
| Player | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | so | po | a | lob | |
| Austin Wulf cf | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| James Abraham lf | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michael Morris 3b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Zach Stephens 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | |
| Ben Burgess c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| Dylan Bosheers 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Zephan Guyear rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tevis Sherfield dh | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Chad Hayes ss | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Matthew Shepherd p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Garrett Baugh p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seth Lucio p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 35 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 7 | 10 | |
Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Austin Peay......... 301 022 002 - 10 12 1 Tennessee Tech...... 003 000 130 - 7 10 0 ------------------------------------------- |
| E – HANKINS, J.(11). DP – APSU 2. LOB – APSU 9; TTU 10. 2B – HANKINS, J.(14); HARPER, Re.(15); BACHMAN, G.(9); HAYES(11). HR – BACHMAN, G. 2(14); WOLLENZIN, M(3). HBP – HANKINS, J.; CHILDRESS, T; ABRAHAM; STEPHENS; BURGESS; BOSHEERS; GUYEAR; HAYES. SH – CLINARD, J.(14). SB – HANKINS, J.(3). CS – CHILDRESS, T(3). |
| Austin Peay | ip | h | r | er | bb | so | wp | bk | hbp | ibb | ab | bf | fo | go | np |
| DELGADO, Casey W,7-4 | 6.1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 30 | 2 | 9 | 118 |
| HEBERT, Mike | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20 |
| LEFFEW, Zane | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| ROGERS, Tyler S,11 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 21 |
| Tennessee Tech | ip | h | r | er | bb | so | wp | bk | hbp | ibb | ab | bf | fo | go | np |
| Matthew Shepherd L,4-5 | 5.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 80 |
| Garrett Baugh | 0.2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Seth Lucio | 3.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 75 |
| Win – DELGADO, C. (7-4). Loss – SHEPHERD (4-5). Save – ROGERS, T. (11). WP – DELGADO, C. 3(7); SHEPHERD(12); BAUGH(6). HBP – by SHEPHERD (HANKINS, J.); by DELGADO, C. (STEPHENS); by BAUGH (CHILDRESS, T); by DELGADO, C. (GUYEAR); by DELGADO, C. (ABRAHAM); by LEFFEW, Z. (HAYES); by ROGERS, T. (BURGESS); by ROGERS, T. (BOSHEERS). PB – WOLLENZIN, M(5). Inherited runners/scored: HEBERT, M. 2/1; LEFFEW, Z. 2/2; ROGERS, T. 2/0; LUCIO 2/2. Pitches/strikes: DELGADO, C. 118/73; HEBERT, M. 20/13; LEFFEW, Z. 12/5; ROGERS, T. 21/15; SHEPHERD 80/42; BAUGH 18/7; LUCIO 75/48. Umpires – HP: Mike Phillips 1B: Jeremy Parker 3B: Chuck Pack Start: 6:00pm Time: 3:34 Attendance:188HEBERT, M. faced 2 batters in the 8th. LEFFEW, Z. faced 3 batters in the 8th. |
