Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University baseball left fielder TJ Foreman homered to get the scoring started and the Governors used a trio of three-run innings to pull away for an 11-4 nonconference victory against Southern Illinois, Tuesday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Avros then scored and Foreman moved to third on a wild pitch, giving the APSU Govs a 4-3 lead. Then Foreman made a heads-up play when first baseman Ty DeLancey flew out to shallow center field. Foreman feinted toward home and forced a throw that eluded the Southern Illinois catcher and Foreman dashed home for the third run and a 5-3 lead.
Austin Peay (15-22) tacked on three more runs in the fourth after loading the bases with one out. A wild pitch allowed a run to score before Avros struck with a double down the left field line for two more runs and an 8-3 lead.
Catcher Jack Alexander put the game away in the eighth. Austin Peay State University loaded the bases after Luna reached on an error, Avros was intentionally walked, and DeLancey walked. Alexander drove a 2-0 pitch into the right-center field gap where the Salukis miscommunicated and the ball fell to the ground, emptying the bases for an 11-3 lead.
Avros, batting leadoff, was 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Batting second, Foreman went 2-for-4 with three RBI and also scored twice. DeLancey and Luna also went 2-for-4 each, Luna scoring three times.
Austin Peay State University reliever Jacob Weaver (2-1) entered the game in the fourth and supplied four innings, allowing one run, to notch his second win. Starter Sebastian Martinez departed for precautionary reasons after three innings that saw him allow three runs on four hits.
Southern Illinois starting pitcher Jake Combs (2-1) took his first loss after allowing five runs on six hits in three innings. The Salukis offense was held to six hits with six different hitters recording a hit each. Left fielder Pier-Oliver Boucher was 1-for-3 with two RBI courtesy his two-run home run in the top of the second inning.
Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team closes out a seven-game road swing against Illinois schools when it travels to SIU Edwardsville for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, scheduled for Friday-Sunday at the Simmons Baseball Complex in Edwardsville.
