Deland, FL – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team answered the call in a wild first inning but could not string together another offensive run. It dropped its second game of the ASUN Baseball Championship, 5-3, Thursday on Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Austin Peay (35-21, 0-2 Pool A) cannot advance out of pool play with the loss. The APSU Govs will conclude their season with a Friday 9:00am contest against Kennesaw State, which is seeking to win the pool.
Stetson (38-20, 1-1 Pool A) opened the game with three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning. With one out and two on, catcher Gio Cueto doubled to left field, scoring the game’s first run. First baseman Landon Moran followed with an RBI single, and shortstop Lorenzo Meola followed with another RBI single, giving the Hatters a 3-0 lead.
The Governors responded quickly in the bottom of the frame. After an error on a potential double-play ground ball, first baseman Harrison Brown drove in a run with a single. Center fielder John Bay added another run with a double down the left-field line. Designated hitter Jaden Brown tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Both starting pitchers quickly gained control after their long first innings. Austin Peay State University starter Jacob Weaver (4-3) worked around a one-out double in the second before retiring eight consecutive batters. Stetson starter Dylan Jacobs responded in kind, stranding a runner in scoring position in the second and then retiring five consecutive batters.
Stetson broke the tie in the fifth by taking advantage of a leadoff walk. Center fielder Kyle Jones earned a six-pitch walk and then advanced to third base on back-to-back wild pitches. Third baseman Isaiah Barkett’s infield single proved just enough to allow Jones to score and give Stetson the 4-3 lead.
Austin Peay State University would have limited opportunities over the final five innings. A leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth went without another base hit in the inning. Another leadoff single in the seventh again was left stranded at first base.
Stetson added an insurance run in the eighth and then saw its defense lock down the game. The Hatters denied an attempted bunt single to start the eighth, then erased a one-out single by turning a double play. The APSU Govs grounded out to shortstop twice to start the ninth before reliever Aric McAtee got a called third strike to end the game.
McAttee (3-3) picked up the win with 4.2 innings of scoreless relief with only two hits allowed. Meola went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Quick Hits
Austin Peay State University John Bay notched his 20th double – and the APSU Govs record-tying 155th double – in the first inning. He becomes the first Govs hitter with 20 doubles and 20 home runs in a season.
Harrison Brown has a hit in six of his last seven games and is batting .400 (12-30) during that stretch.
APSU Jaden Brown saw his six-game hit streak end, he is batting .522 (12-23) over his last seven games.
Gus Freeman hit his second double of the championship – and the APSU Govs record-breaking 156th double – in the fourth inning. His last three base hits have each gone for a double.
Jon Jon Gazdar went 2-for-4 at the plate and finished the day with a .405 batting average as he continues his push to become only the 10th Govs hitter to bat .400 or better in a season.
Clayton Gray extended his reached safely streak to 41 games, moving past Gazdar’s 40-game streak for longest this season. It is the fourth longest reached-safely streak in program history.
Lyle Miller-Green earned his 54th walk this season in the second inning. That broke the program record of 53 walks set by Al Bolden during the 1985 season.
The APSU Govs 6-7-8 hitters were a combined 0-for-10 with a sac fly Thursday.
Trending Govs
Freeman’s fourth-inning double was Austin Peay State University’s 156th double this season, breaking the program record set by the 1996 team (155 doubles in 66 games).
Austin Peay State University is 1-4 all-time in the ASUN Baseball Championship and 0-2 against Stetson in the tournament. Kennesaw State, the Govs’ opponent Friday, will be the fifth different opponent the Govs have faced in the Championship all-time.
The APSU Govs lost their third-straight game for the first time since April 14th-19th.
APSU was held to three runs or less for the sixth time this season. They are 1-5 when held to three runs or less. It is the first time this season the Govs have been held to less than three runs in back-to-back games.
