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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- The Morehead State baseball team took an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but a towering fly ball that carried over the fence for a two-run homer from Austin Peay junior first baseman Craig Massoni sent the game to extra innings, and Governor catcher P.J. Torres sealed the 9-8 Eagle loss with a walk-off home run on Friday afternoon at Hand Park.
The Eagles (15-32) fall to 9-13 in Ohio Valley Conference play with the loss, while the Governors (33-13) improve to 14-7 in league play.
The teams combined for seven home runs in the contest, as strong winds blew out of the ballpark throughout the game. Morehead State racked up 16 hits to APSU’s 13. It was the 21st time this season the Eagles notched double digit hits, and the sixth time in the last nine games.
“It was a disappointing loss because I thought that for the most part, we played really well,” Head Coach Mike McGuire said. “I have been waiting all season for this type of offense to show up, and it was tough to not get the win.”
A pair of MSU home runs - a two-run shot from sophomore right fielder Brandon Rawe in the top of the seventh and a solo homer from sophomore second baseman Kane Sweeney in the eighth - gave the Eagles their first lead of game after a back-and-forth start.
Five Eagles – Sweeney (4-for-5), senior shortstop Chase Greenwell (3-for-6), Rawe (2-for-6), freshman third baseman Alan Mocahbee (2-for-4) and senior left fielder Taylor Pickens (2-for-4) - registered multiple hits in the contest. It was the 24th multiple hit effort of the season for Greenwell, while Sweeney extended his reached-base streak to 38 games.
Austin Peay got things going in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs on three singles.
MSU answered with two in the fourth, when junior designated hitter Bobby Burns drove in Sweeney on an infield single. Senior first baseman Bobby Lewis followed with a sacrifice fly to knot it at 2-2. APSU regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run from senior left fielder Cody Hudson.
The Eagles tied things up again in the fifth on an RBI single through the left side from senior shortstop Chase Greenwell. The Governors tacked on two in the fifth to retake the lead, 5-3. MSU responded again with two in the sixth via three hits, highlighted by a solo shot over the left field wall from Mocahbee and an RBI double from senior catcher Drew Williams.
Following the pair of home runs from Rawe and Sweeney, Torres cut the gap to two with a solo homer in the eighth before his late game heroics.
APSU senior righty Tyler Rogers (7-2) picked up the win, coming in to throw a scoreless tenth inning. MSU senior righty Matt Duncan (1-4) was charged with the loss, allowing the tying and winning round-trippers.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. With rain in the forecast for the rest of the weekend, make sure to check MSUEagles.com for any changes to the weekend schedule.
