Clarksville, TN – Left fielder John Bay and first baseman Justin Olson each had two home runs, and the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Maryland Eastern Shore with a 14-3 victory Sunday afternoon on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Austin Peay (7-1) extended its win streak to seven games, its longest win streak since the 2013 season when it won seven consecutive games en route to a conference championship season.
The Governors struck for five runs in the first inning to set the tone early. Leadoff hitter Clayton Gray opened the game with a double and later scored on right fielder Harrison Brown’s double. Center fielder added a second run with his single to score Harrison Brown. But Olson’s three-run home run – his first of the day – put the Govs ahead 5-0.
Maryland Eastern Shore (0-6) scored in the second and third innings, trimming the Austin Peay State University lead to four runs each time, first at 5-1 and then again at 7-3.
Gray began the APSU Govs’ final seven-run unanswered burst with a leadoff home run in the sixth. Bay then provided the next two runs with singles in the sixth and eighth innings. Third baseman Jaden Brown pushed the Govs lead to nine runs with his eighth-inning sacrifice fly. But Olson completed the win with a two-run home run down the right field line, completing the run-rule victory.
Campbell Holt (1-0) picked up the win in relief, supplying five scoreless innings on the mound while striking out seven batters. Adam Walker, making his first start for the Governors, opened the game with seven strikeouts in his three-inning outing.
Olson led the APSU Govs’ offense with a five-RBI outing, going 2-for-5 with two home runs. Bay provided a 3-for-4, three-RBI effort. Gray was 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, and two RBI.
UMES catcher Bronson Taylor’s two-run double in the third inning highlighted his 1-for-3 outing. Shortstop Ryan Davis went 2-for-3 at the plate. Starting pitcher Charles Bernard (0-1) allowed seven runs over 1.2 innings and took the loss.
The Austin Peay State University baseball team closes its four-game homestand when it hosts Gonzaga in a Monday noon contest at The Hand. The athletics department will host Business Professionals Day with special promotions for the Shawn Kelley K Club available.
