Clarksville, TN – Gavin Braunecker tossed 7.2 innings to improve to 8-0 and Cameron Nickens had four hits to lead the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team to its seventh-straight Atlantic Sun Conference victory in a 10-6 win over Bellarmine, Friday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Two Austin Peay (35-11, 19-3 ASUN) hitters finished a home run shy of the cycle, with Nickens recording a single, two doubles, and a triple, while Brody Szako also had a three-hit performance with a single, double, and triple.
Eli Watson led the Bellarmine (11-34, 7-15 ASUN) offense with three knocks and hit the game’s lone home run in the second inning.
How it Happened
Bottom 1st | After Kyler Proctor doubled on Chase Carver’s first pitch of the game, John Bay hit his team-leading fifth triple of the season to give Austin Peay State University a 1-0 advantage. Nickens was the third-straight Govs’ hitter with a base hit in the opening frame and pushed the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single to center field. With one out in the inning, Cole Johnson singled to center to drive in Nickens before advancing to third on an error by the Knight’s centerfielder. Szako then drove in the first of his team-best two RBI with a double to right before a Ray Velazquez grounder was misplayed by the Bellarmine shortstop, allowing Szako to score and give APSU a 5-0 lead after one inning.
Top 2nd | Watson drove in the first of his team-leading two RBI with a solo home run to right field to lead off the inning.
Bottom 5th | With runners on second and third, after Nickens hit a leadoff double and Freeman reached on a fielding error by the Knights’ shortstop, Szako drove in another run with an RBI single through the right side to push the lead to 6-1. Velazquez then reached base on another Bellarmine error that allowed Freeman to score from third before Szako was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning. With two outs in the frame, Trevor Conley doubled to left center for the first of his team-leading two RBI, and Andres Matias singled to left to extend the Govs’ lead to 9-1.
Bottom 7th | Szako opened the inning with his first triple of the season down the right field line before scoring on a Conley sacrifice fly that capped the scoring on the day for APSU and pushed the lead to 10-1.
Top 8th | After recording the first two outs of the inning, Braunecker exited the game with runners on first and second base. Brody Lanham entered to pitch for the APSU Govs, and back-to-back Bellarmine singles made the score 10-3. Each of the Knights’ next two batters reached via error, and Bellarmine added three more runs to bring the score to 10-6.
Wrap Up
Braunecker picked up his team-leading eighth win of the season after going 7.2 innings with six strikeouts. He allowed three runs on five hits and only walked two batters in the contest. Brody Lanham also threw a third of an inning for the Governors, allowing three runs on two hits. Landon Slemp pitched the final inning for the APSU Govs, allowing one hit and one walk.
Carver took the loss for Bellarmine and fell to 3-6 on the season after pitching 6.0 innings and allowing 12 hits and nine runs, with five earned runs, while striking out three batters. McMichael tossed the final two innings for the Knights, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout.
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Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Austin Peay State University baseball team will play Game 2 of the three-game ASUN Conference series against Bellarmine on Saturday at 2:00pm CT on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
