Deland, FL – Designated hitter Lyle Miller-Green and shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar each hit solo home runs but the Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team could not solve Florida Gulf Coast starter Justin Henschel and dropped the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship’s opening game, 13-3, Tuesday on Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Top-seeded Austin Peay (35-20, 0-1 Pool A) continues its play in the tournament’s Pool A with a Thursday 9:00pm CT contest against host Stetson. Pool A plays a round-robin format, with each of the four teams playing three games, and the top three teams in the pool advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.
Miller-Green got the APSU Govs on the board with a one-out home run in the first inning, tying the game 1-1. However, the Govs would be held to three hits through the first four innings. The APSU Govs would get a walk, a hit, and a sacrifice fly in the fifth before Gazdar’s solo home run in the sixth.
However, in a very rare occurrence in 2024, the APSU Govs offense couldn’t keep pace with Florida Gulf Coast (30-24, 1-0 Pool A). The Eagles scored in each of the first three innings, including a three-run home run by catcher Mac Moise in the second inning and a two-run homer by left fielder Evan Dempsey in the third to build a 6-1 lead. FGCU tacked on three more runs in the fifth and led 9-1 before the Govs could tack on their second run.
The Eagles offense outburst benefitted starting pitcher Justin Henschel (5-2), who tossed a complete game. He only ran into significant trouble in the sixth inning when APSU followed Gazdar’s home run by loading the bases with one out.
But Henschel induced a ground ball back to the mound that he turned into an inning-ending double play. FGCU would follow that by scoring four in the seventh to secure the run-rule victory.
Miller-Green hit his 30th home run in the first inning, and FGCU responded by intentionally walking him twice and issuing a traditional walk in this final plate appearance. Gazdar was 2-for-3 with a home run and RBI. Left fielder Clayton Gray hit his 24th double as part of a 1-for-3 outing that included an RBI.
Austin Peay State University starting pitcher Lyle Miller-Green (5-2) lost after allowing six runs on six hits in three innings of work.
Quick Hits
Austin Peay State University’s John Bay extended his hit streak to three games. He is now batting .256 (11-for-43) in his last 11 games.
Harrison Brown is now batting .423 (11-for-26) in his last six games. He extended his reached-safely streak to 26 games.
Jaden Brown is now batting .600 (12-for-20) in his last six games.
APSU’s Gus Freeman hit his 13th double of the season Tuesday. He is batting .444 (32-72) since April 20th. He extended his reached safely streak to 17 games.
Jon Jon Gazdar finished the game with a .403 batting average this season as he seeks to become only the 10th Govs hitter to bat .400 or better in a season.
Clayton Gray’s 24th double equals his total from 2023 and is tied for fourth most in a single season at APSU. Second place in doubles is held by Nate Manning (1996) and Garrett Giovannelli (2018) at 26 doubles. He also extended his reached safely streak to 40 games, the sixth Govs hitter to post a 40-game (or better) reached safely streak in program history.
Lyle Miller-Green’s 30th home run extended his own APSU and ASUN records. It also moved him to 30th all-time in NCAA Division I history. He also extended his reached-safely streak to 24 games.
Austin Peay State University’s Brody Szako saw both his six-game hitting streak and 16-game reached-safely streak end Tuesday.
Ambren Voitik went 1-for-3 Tuesday and is 4-for-9 at the plate in his last two games.
Trending Govs
Gazdar’s home run was the APSU Gov’s 146th this season, and they move into ninth all-time on the NCAA Division I single-season list. They are tied with Florida (2023) and Florida State (1985). Next up are 148 home runs (BYU, 1985) and 149 home runs (Oklahoma State, 1997).
Austin Peay State University is 1-3 all-time in the ASUN Baseball Championship. FGCU is the fourth different team the Govs have faced in the tournament. Stetson will become the first team the Govs have played twice in the tournament.
Austin Peay State University has won 14 of its last 18 games and 19 of its last 26.
The APSU Govs were held to three runs or less for only the fifth time this season. They are 1-4 when held to three runs or less. The last team to hold the Govs to three runs or less was FGCU in the April 19th series opener (FGCU won 10-3).
FGCU becomes only the second team to hand APSU a run-rule loss this season, joining Auburn (March 10th). It is the third time they have suffered a loss of 10 runs or more.
Austin Peay State University surrendered 13 runs for the second consecutive game.
