Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team’s bullpen has been efficient over the last week, and it showed as graduate pitcher Gavin Braunecker threw seven shutout innings to give the Governors a 12-0 victory against North Alabama, Friday, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
How it Happened
Bottom 1st | Austin Peay State University found their way on the board first, scoring three runs in the first inning on a handful of hits and an error. Kyler Proctor led the inning with a single up the middle for the game’s first hit. He would advance to second base on an infield hit by John Bay.
They both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch from North Alabama starting pitcher Tripp Patterson. Then, Proctor scored on another wild pitch from Patterson. Cameron Nickens then drew a four-pitch walk before Gus Freeman delivered an RBI single to left field to score Bay. Nickens and Freeman would put on the double-steal, allowing them to move into scoring position with nobody out in the inning. Patterson would collect two strikeouts before facing Ray Velazquez.
But with two away in the inning, catcher Matthew Delgado would try to back-pick Freeman at second, but threw the ball into the outfield, which allowed Nickens to score and extend the APSU Govs lead to 3-0.
Bottom 2nd | The bats stayed hot for the Govs in the second, where they would score six more runs and increase their lead over the Lions. Trevor Conley and Andres Matias led off the inning with a single and a double, while Proctor loaded the bases on a fielder’s choice to the UNA third baseman.
With Bay up at the plate and the bases loaded, he hit a towering fly ball out to deep left field, hitting the top of the fence for a hit. With runners tagging on the play, only two runners scored, and Bay earned a single. Nickens was the next batter, and he would reach safely on a throwing error by Patterson. Freeman then stepped up with the bases loaded again in the inning and drew a five-pitch walk to bring in Proctor to score.
Cole Johnson then delivered a two-RBI single through the right side of the infield, advancing Freeman to third base. Then Brody Szako joined the hit column with an RBI double down the right field line, scoring Freeman to extend the lead to 9-0.
Bottom 3rd | With an out in the inning, Bay reached first base safely on an error from Leighton Jenkins at shortstop. He would score from first on a single from Nickens up the middle. The UNA center fielder, Alex Wilson, went to field the ground ball Nickens had hit into the outfield, but misplayed the ball, allowing Bay to score and put the Govs ahead 10-0.
Bottom 5th | Hunter Bell began the inning on the mound in relief of Patterson. His first opponent was Proctor, and he got him to go down on strikes. However, he hit Bay with a pitch and threw a wild pitch, allowing Bay to move into scoring position. He then walked Nickens on four straight pitches before attempting to pick off Bay at second.
Bell threw the ball into center field, allowing both runners to move up another base. Freeman then hit a ground ball up the middle with the infield in, and was thrown out at first, but not after Bay crossed the plate to score and extend the lead to 11-0.
Bottom 6th | With an out in the inning, Velazquez hit his 11th homer of the year over the left field fence for the final blow of the game, putting the Govs up 12-0.
Wrap Up
Braunecker picked up his seventh win of the season to improve to 7-0. He threw seven shutout innings with a season high 10 strikeouts, giving up just two hits and hitting one batter.
Patterson was given the loss to fall to 3-5 on the season. He gave up 10 runs, seven earned, on 10 hits and four walks, while striking out two batters.
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Next Up For APSU Baseball
The Governors will play Game 2 of the three-game series against North Alabama starting on Saturday at 2:00pm CT, at Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
