APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team won both ends of its Ohio Valley Conference against Southeast Missouri in walk-off fashion, Friday at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Governors won the opener 7-6 on second baseman Garrett Kueber’s two-run double before a 7-6 victory in the nightcap was clinched on a balk.
Austin Peay (16-11, 7-4 OVC) trailed most of the day’s first game and faced a 5-4 deficit entering the ninth inning.
Center fielder Imani Willis singled with one out and third baseman Malcolm Tipler singled with two outs to bring up Kueber. The Govs shortstop took the second pitch he saw and drove it into the right center gap to drive in both runners for the win.
In the nightcap, Southeast Missouri (10-17, 7-4 OVC) was the team that had to rally from a deficit, trailing 6-1 after seven innings. The Redhawks used a pair of Governors miscues to score three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to force Austin Peay to take its final turn at-bat.
The Governors got back-to-back singles from pinch hitter Mike Newberg and Aaron Campbell to put the pressure on and a ground out moved the potential winning run to third base. On a 2-1 pitch to Govs catcher David Martinez, the Redhawks reliever was called for a balk, bringing the winning run home.
Newberg (3-0) notched the win in the opener after tossing three innings and allowing one unearned run. Reliever Harley Gollert (2-1) was credited with the win in the nightcap after allowing two unearned runs in his 1.2 innings of work.
First baseman Parker Phillips went 4-for-9 with four RBI in the doubleheader, hitting a home run in the first game before notching two doubles in the second game. Second baseman Garrett Giovannelli extended his hit streak to 13 games with a 3-for-9 outing on the day.
Redhawks designated hitter Justin Dirden went 5-for-7 with three walks in the doubleheader, including a 3-for-3, two-walk outing in the night cap.
Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri wrap their three-game Ohio Valley Conference series with a 1:00pm, Saturday contest.
