Clarksville, TN – Trailing by 11 runs in the third inning, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team rallied for 13 unanswered runs. But it took infielder Conner Gore’s walk-off single to end a wild final two innings and send the Governors past UT Martin, 18-17, in nonconference action Tuesday on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (13-16) suffered a slow start, and UT Martin capitalized in the first three innings. Two APSU errors in the first inning led to three UTM runs. After tacking on a run in the second, UT Martin used another pair of APSU errors, second baseman Hunter McLean’s two-run home run, and shortstop Andrew Fernandez’s grand slam to score seven runs and take an 11-0 lead.
The Governors bats woke up and posted three consecutive four-run innings to take the lead. Center fielder Garrett Martin drove in two runs in the third inning with his 13th home run of 2023. Designated Lyle Miller-Green supplied two runs with a home run in the fourth, then gave APSU the lead with a grand slam in the fifth inning. APSU would tack on another run in the sixth to build a 13-11 lead.
But UT Martin (9-21) would not go away and regained the lead in the eighth inning courtesy of designated hitter Jack Culumovic’s three-run home run to cap a four-run frame. The APSU Govs responded in kind in their half of the eighth, scoring two runs on a pair of wild pitches before left fielder Clayton Gray gave APSU a 17-15 lead with a two-run triple.
The Skyhawks tied the game again in the ninth inning. Fernandez nearly tied the game with no outs, but his fly ball merely lodged in the pads for a ground-rule double instead of the initially called home run. Austin Peay nearly escaped the frame, with reliever Davin Pollard recording the next two outs. However, McLean would temporarily deny the Govs the victory with his two-run double tying the game 17-17-.
The APSU Govs followed the Skyhawks’ script nearly batter-for-batter in their half of the frame. This time, second baseman Jon Jon Gazdar saw a potential home run ruled to have hit the top of the fence and remained in the park for a double. Skyhawks reliever Baylor Jones retired the next batter, but Gore ended the game with a line drive off the wall in left-center field, driving in the game-winning run.
Miller-Green finished with a six-RBI night, going 2-for-6 at the plate. Gray went 4-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored. Gore was 4-for-6 with two RBI.
McLean paced UTM with his 4-for-5, five RBI day. Culumovic had four RBI and was 2-for-6 at the plate. Fernandez was 3-for-4 with five RBI.
Pollard (2-0) picked up the win after pitching the ninth inning and allowing two runs on two hits. Austin Peay used nine pitchers in the game.
Jones (0-1) suffered the loss, recording just two outs before allowing the game-winning run. UT Martin used nine pitchers in the contest.
Other Notables
Two days after scoring 25 runs in the Bellarmine series finale, Austin Peay State University posted 18 runs against UT Martin. That 43-run two-game total breaks the record of 42 runs in back-to-back games set in 2019 (13 and 29 runs at Eastern Illinois) and 2002 (13 and 29 runs at Eastern Kentucky).
Austin Peay State University won for only the fourth time in program history when allowing an opponent to score 17 runs or more. It was the first time since they defeated Boston College, 18-17, in the third game of the 2022 season – a game they also won in walk-off fashion.
Lyle Miller-Green became the third APSU Govs’ hitter to hit a grand slam in 2023, joining Michael Robinson (February 21st vs. Southern Illinois) and Garrett Martin (February 28th at Vanderbilt).
Miller-Green had his second two-homer game of 2023, matching his two-homer day against Illinois State on February 19th.
Martin hit his 13th home run – his fourth in his last five games – and moved into 14th on the Govs home run list. He joins Dave Sloan (1996) and John Hogan (2011).
In his second game back in the lineup – after missing 35 days due to injury, Gore posted a four-hit outing and has six hits since his return.
For the second time this season, right fielder Nathan Barksdale did not record a hit but scored multiple runs. Tuesday, he walked twice, was hit by a pitch, and scored all three times he reached base while going 0-for-2 at the plate. He was 0-for-2 with four runs scored (three walks and reached on an error) at Liberty on March 25th.
Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team returns to ASUN Conference play with a three-game series against Kennesaw State, Thursday-Saturday, in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Owls dropped a 6-4 contest to visiting Georgia Tuesday.
