Auburn, AL – Third baseman Brody Szako’s first-inning three-run home run set the tone early as the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team rolled to a 15-6 victory against nationally-ranked Auburn Saturday at Plainsman Park.
Austin Peay (11-3) won to tie the three-game series at one game apiece. The APSU Govs and Tigers play the rubber game of the set on Sunday at 1:00pm.
Auburn (11-3) followed the Govs’ three-run first inning with two runs in its half of the frame. The Tigers saw left fielder Mason Maners single to start the inning before shortstop Cooper Weiss hit a two-run home run, cutting the APSU lead to 3-2.
But the Governors scored the game’s next eight runs. Center fielder John Bay homered for a run in the third inning, and shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar added another run with a fourth-inning double. APSU led 5-3 after four innings.
Austin Peay State University’s second three-run inning came in the sixth inning and was buoyed by Bay’s run-scoring single and second baseman Ambren Voitik’s two-run single as the lead reached 8-2. Two innings later, the APSU Govs pieced together a third three-run frame with designated hitter Jaden Brown driving in a run with a double and Voitik following him with a two-run double, pushing the advantage to 11-2.
After Auburn catcher Ike Irish hit a two-run home run in the eighth, Austin Peay State University responded with a final four-run ninth. Voitik drove in his fifth run with a groundout, before catcher Gus Freeman drove in two runs with a double. An error-filled sequence followed, and Freeman scored the Govs’ 15th run.
Auburn would plate two final runs in the ninth inning but did not threaten to put a larger dent in the Govs lead.
The APSU Govs scoring barrage was aided by starting pitcher Andrew Devine’s (3-0) quality start. After surrendering the first-inning home run, Austin Peay State University’s starter allowed just four base runners and retired 22 of the final 26 batters he faced. He tied his season-high with seven innings pitched while holding Auburn to two runs on four hits while striking out five batters.
Voitik led the offense with his 4-for-5, five RBI performance, including a double. Szako was 2-for-5 with three RBI and a walk and Bay went 3-for-5 with two RBI and four runs scored.
Auburn starter Carson Myers (1-1) did not make it past the third inning to suffer his first loss after allowing four runs on seven hits. He was one of seven pitchers the Tigers used in the loss. Weiss’ 2-for-3, two-RBI effort was Auburn’s lone multi-hit outing in an eight-hit day.
