Conway, AR – Down to its last strike, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team scored a run on a wild pitch, an RBI single, and a two-run home run to down Central Arkansas 6-5 in Atlantic Sun Conference action Friday night at Bear Stadium.
With the win, Austin Peay (32-17, 17-8 ASUN) staved off a push by its challengers for the league’s regular-season title. Four of the five teams within a game of the lead won on Friday, but the Governors death-defying heroics kept them out front with five games remaining in the conference race.
Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth inning, the Governors looked for a spark, and designated hitter Jaden Brown provided it, hammering the inning’s first pitch for a double into the right field gap. But Central Arkansas’ closer Hunter Alexander steadied the ship with a strikeout before issuing a four-pitch walk to APSU Govs catcher Gus Freeman. Alexander would get the second out on a ground out, putting the Govs hopes down to their final out.
However, those hopes fell on the shoulders of right fielder Lyle Miller-Green. Still, Alexander got the league’s top player down to his last strike before things unraveled for the host Bears. The 1-2 pitch hit the dirt and ran to the backstop, allowing pinch runner Nathan Barksdale to score the game-tying run and Freeman to reach third base. Miller-Green didn’t wait to attack, hitting the next pitch into left field to push Freeman home and give APSU a 4-3 lead.
Austin Peay State University didn’t let the Bears out of the trap. Third baseman Brody Szako battled to a 3-2 count before hitting a two-run home run over the right-center field fence, pushing the APSU Govs lead to 6-3 before Alexander could work his way out of the inning.
Central Arkansas (21-25, 11-14 ASUN) did not fade away and brought the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom of the ninth. Govs closer Titan Kennedy-Hayes got off to a shaky start as the first two batters reached base safely. However, Kennedy-Hayes got a much-needed double play from the third batter of the inning, getting the Govs within an out of ending the game.
But the Bears got back-to-back RBI hits when third baseman Bryce Cermenelli doubled, and catcher Casey Shipley singled, slashing the APSU lead to a run. Kennedy-Hayes then fell behind 3-0 to designated hitter Colton Sagely before rallying with three straight strikes to end the game and secure his seventh save.
Austin Peay State University reliever Tyler Hampu (2-3) picked up the win after working 1.1 innings of scoreless relief in the seventh and eighth innings. His outing built on Jackie Robinson’s solid performance out of the pen that saw him allow one run on two hits over 2.2 innings. Govs starter Jacob Weaver allowed two runs on three this and five walks over four-plus innings,
Szako’s 2-for-5 outing, which included the game-securing two-run home run, paced the Govs’ 10-hit attack. Freeman and Gray provided an RBI each in the APSU Govs’ two-run seventh inning, which narrowed an early 3-0 deficit to a single run, 3-2.
Central Arkansas starter Jesse Barker opened with six scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the seventh inning. He finished the night with 6.2 innings pitched and allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five batters. Alexander (3-3) lost after allowing four runs over the final 2.1 innings on five hits and a walk.
Cermenelli and first baseman AJ Mendolia each went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Central Arkansas offense.
Austin Peay State University and Central Arkansas continue the three-game ASUN series with a Saturday 4:00pm contest.
