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HomeSportsAustin Peay State University Baseball loses to #17 Tennessee, 5-3

Austin Peay State University Baseball loses to #17 Tennessee, 5-3

APSU BaseballClarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team used a big three-run third inning but was undone by a big inning by No. 17 Tennessee Vols in a 5-3 non-conference loss, Wednesday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Austin Peay State University Baseball falls to #17 Tennessee Vols at Raymond C. Hand Park, 5-3. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay State University Baseball falls to #17 Tennessee Vols at Raymond C. Hand Park, 5-3. (APSU Sports Information)

Austin Peay State University’s (1-6) third inning got underway with three consecutive singles from second baseman John Bolton, left fielder TJ Foreman and center fielder Garrett Spain – Spain’s driving in the game’s first run.

First baseman John McDonald drove in a second run with a groundout and Spain ultimately scored on a passed ball for a 3-0 lead.

The Governors would load the bases again in the third. Catcher Jack Alexander and third baseman Gino Avros each walked and designated hitter Malcolm Tipler singled to load the bases with one out. But Tennessee escaped the jam with a strikeout and then catching Alexander out at home trying to advance on a wild pitch, leaving the APSU Govs with only a 3-0 lead.

Tennessee (8-2) would chargeback in the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate. The inning started off innocently enough as catcher Jackson Greer lifted a fly ball to right field. However, the APSU Govs defender lost the ball in the twilight sky and it landed for a leadoff double. The Volunteers loaded the bases with one out and shortstop Liam Spence drove in their first run with a hard line drive that was knocked down for an infield single.

Third baseman Jake Rucker tied the game with a bases-loaded two-run single. After an APSU pitching change, left fielder Drew Gilbert broke the tie with a sacrifice fly. UT again loaded the bases and a hit batsman drove in the inning’s fifth run. The Govs would end the inning with the next batter but trailed 5-3.

Outside of those two innings of scoring, both team’s pitching staffs kept the offenses off balance. For the Govs it was starter Luke Brown and reliever Austin Loeb. Meanwhile, UT reliever Elijah Pleasants provided a strong long relief outing.

Brown held Tennessee scoreless through four innings, striking out four while scattering a pair of hits and two walks. Loeb was the final Govs pitcher and held the Vols scoreless over his 2.1 innings, striking out four. Reliever Matt Magrann (0-1), APSU’s second pitcher, allowed five runs and recorded one out to suffer the loss.

Pleasants was Tennessee’s fourth pitcher of the afternoon and the only one they needed. He held Austin Peay State University scoreless over the final six innings, striking out six and scattering three hits to pick up his season’s first victory.

 

 

Rucker led the Vols with a 2-for-5, two RBI outing and right fielder Jordan Beck also had two hits.

Foreman led Austin Peay State University and all hitters with his 3-for-5 day.

Box Score

Tennessee 5, Austin Peay 3

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Tennessee 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 9 2
Austin Peay 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1

W: Elijah Pleasants (1-1) L: MAGRANN, Matt (0-1)

Next Up For Austin Peay State University Baseball

Austin Peay State University baseball team returns to the road for a three-game series at Northwestern State, Friday-Sunday.

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