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HomeSportsAPSU Baseball falls at home to Mercer Bears, 9-1

APSU Baseball falls at home to Mercer Bears, 9-1

APSU Sports Information

APSU Baseball - Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team first baseman Dre Gleason hit a solo home run but the Governors fell behind early in a 9-1 loss to Mercer, Friday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Austin Peay (5-4) could not solve Mercer starter Ryan Askew early in Friday’s contest, with only a leadoff error in the second breaking the Bears starter’s early rhythm.

Austin Peay Baseball loses at Mercer Bears Friday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Baseball loses at Mercer Bears Friday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park. (APSU Sports Information)

Still 10 of the first 11 Govs batters were retired and the error was wiped out by a double play.

Mercer (8-2) went without a run in the first inning despite back-to-back one out singles. However, they broke through in the second for a solitary run on a ground ball by first baseman Hunter Bening. The Bears were denied additional runs in the inning when an appeal play turned a fly out into two outs to end the frame.

The Bears would not be denied in the third, stringing together three straight one-out hits. Catcher Charlie Madden’s double to right delivered two runs. Two batters later, left fielder Jackson Ware broke the game open with a three-run home run, extending the Mercer lead to 6-0.

Gleason get the Govs their lone run of the evening with his leadoff home run in the fifth inning. He would add a double in the seventh inning that gave the Govs two runners in scoring position with no outs. However, Askew struck out each of the next three batters to end APSU’s best threat.

Askew (2-0) picked up the win after holding Austin Peay to one run on six hits while striking out five over seven innings. The Bears bullpen would not allow a run in two innings of work, striking out four of the six Govs it faced.

Austin Peay starter Michael Costanzo (1-2) was handed just his fourth career home loss after allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings. The Govs bullpen surrendered solo runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth frames.

Gleason led the Govs offense with a 2-for-4 outing which included his fifth home run of 2017. Four other Govs had one hit each in the six-hit outing. Austin Peay did not record a base on balls for the first time this season.

Ware paced the Bears attack with a 2-for-3, four RBI performance. Third baseman Danny Edgeworth added a 3-for-5 outing.

Who Governed

Gleason followed up his seven RBI outing, Tuesday, with the Govs lone run in Friday’s contest. His fifth-inning home run was his fifth of the season and he later added a seventh-inning double.  

Notably

Make It 23 Dingers
Gleason’s solo shot was the Govs 23rd home run in the season’s ninth game. Austin Peay has hit a home run in all nine games this season. It was Austin Peay’s 13th solo home run.

First Round To The Bears
In a matchup between two of Division I’s top home run hitting teams, the first round went to Mercer. The Bears had two home runs on the afternoon while the Govs were limited to a single long ball.

Tough Loss
The Govs faced their largest deficit in any game this season with the eight-run margin of defeat. Austin Peay had not trailed by more than six runs at any point in a game this season prior to Friday night.

No Free Pass
Austin Peay did not earn a walk at the plate for the first time this season. The Govs entered the night with 39 walks in their first eight games.

Up Next for APSU Baseball

Austin Peay and Mercer continue their three-game series with a 1:00pm, Saturday contest at Raymond C. Hand Park.

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