Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball team set a program record with 10 home runs and scored every one of its runs via a home run in a 17-5 Atlantic Sun Conference run-rule victory against Eastern Kentucky Saturday on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Right fielder Lyle Miller-Green hit his 24th and 25th home runs of the season during Saturday’s derby. He tied the Governors’ single-season record set by Parker Phillips during the 2017 season. Miller-Green has 13 regular-season games remaining to break the record.
Austin Peay (26-16, 13-7 ASUN) used Miller-Green’s first home run – a two-run shot in the first inning to take the lead for the first time. Catcher Gus Freeman extended the APSU lead to 4-1 with his two-run homer in the second.
Eastern Kentucky (12-30, 8-12 ASUN) battled back with three runs in the third inning. Catcher Silas Shaffer’s single provided two runs, tying the game, 4-4.
But Austin Peay State University kept powering away, with shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar and center fielder John Bay adding solo home runs to reestablish the Govs lead at 6-4.
The APSU Govs broke the game open in the fourth. Second baseman Ambren Voitik singled to start the inning, Freeman was hit by a pitch, and EKU intentionally walked Miller-Green with one out. Third baseman Brody Szako wasted no time greeting the new EKU pitcher, hitting the first pitch he saw for a grand slam and a 10-4 lead. It was Austin Peay State University’s seventh grand slam and Szako was the sixth different Governors batter to hit one this season.
After Shaffer hit a home run in the fifth, Austin Peay State University responded with a deluge of four home runs in the bottom of the inning. Voitik led off the inning with a home run before Miller-Green, Szako, and Gazdar went back-to-back-to-back in a five-run inning that pushed the APSU Govs lead to 15-5. Left fielder Clayton Gray capped the scoring with Austin Peay State University’s 10th home run in the sixth inning.
Austin Peay State University reliever Jackie Robinson (2-0) notched the win with 2.2 innings of relief, allowing only one run on three hits. For precautionary reasons, the APSU Govs turned to Josh Howitt for the start as regular starter Andrew Devine was kept off the mound. Howitt went 2.1 innings and allowed four runs on two hits and three walks.
Szako had two home runs as part of a 2-for-5, five-RBI effort. Miller-Green went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI. Gazdar also had two home runs and was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Shaffer paced Eastern Kentucky with his 2-for-3, three RBI day. Colonels starter N. Lawson took the loss after allowing nine runs on seven hits over 3.1 innings.
Austin Peay State University and Eastern Kentucky wrap up their three-game series with a Sunday 1:00pm series finale at The Hand. It’s Youth Day at the park with any area youth baseball and softball players in uniform receiving free admission to the Govs baseball game.
