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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State baseball team lost the series-ending contest against Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay, 24-5, on a soggy Sunday afternoon at Allen Field.
The conference-leading Governors (22-19) crushed Eagle pitching in the finale, launching six roundtrippers including a grand slam over the left field wall by third baseman Greg Bachman off reliever Matthew Robertson in the fourth inning.
Right fielder Cody Hudson led-off the contest with a solo shot to centerfield, a taste of things to come for Eagle starter Noah Smallwood. Sophomore John Hogan followed Hudson’s lead with a roundtripper of his own in the first, a three-run bomb to right, to give Peay a 4-0 lead.
Smallwood lasted only 3.1 innings and allowed nine earned runs. He was fell victim to the long ball allowing three home runs.
In the second inning, shortstop Austin Haney pulled a hanging fastball into the left field corner scoring Travis Redmon, who reached base on a one-out double to right centerfield.
A three-run third grew the Govs lead. A fielding error by Travis Redmon and a single by Bachman put runners on first and second, and a three-run bomb by sophomore Reed Harper cleared them.
Trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the third, Luke Bainer crossed the plate for the Eagles on a RBI single by Eric Bainer up the middle.
The Eagles (7-33) traded runs again with Peay in the fourth. The Govs drove in four runs on the grand slam by Bachman and the Eagles generated scoring opportunities with patience at the plate. Austin Peay starter Zach Toney issued two free passes in the frame and Taylor Davis poked a double over the outstretched glove of Harper into the left centerfield gap. The third run came as Luke Bainer reached home on a wild pitch.
Toney left the game following his pitching miscue. He tossed 3.1 innings, allowed five earned runs and walked four.
Peay posted a three-spot in the fifth as Jordan Hankins tattooed a pitch by Robertson and sent it over the 40-foot wall in right field to bring the score to 14-5.
MSU’s attempts at a rally were thwarted by righty Chuck Edlin. Edlin scattered four hits over 4.2 innings and did not allow an Eagle run. He earned his third win of the season for his performance out of the bullpen.
The Governor offense continued to roll in the seventh adding four runs to their lead after two outs. Bachman and Hogan hit consecutive doubles driving in three baserunners and Harper slapped the third straight base knock past a diving Haney and into left field scoring the fourth run and making the score 18-5.
In the ninth, trailing by 13 runs, Eagle reliever Jake Helvey walked the first batter he faced and allowed three consecutive singles plating two runs for the Govs. Another run crossed the plate on a groundout by pinch hitter P.J. Torres and second base replacement Chris Gilli drove in three more on the sixth homer of the day.
Every batter in the starting lineup for Austin Peay recorded a hit except for left fielder Tyler Childress. Harper led all Governor batters driving in six runs on three hits, including a home run and a double.
Taylor Davis continued his trend of fine offensive performances bringing home two runs on two doubles and a single.
