Box Scores (Game 1 | Game 2) | Archived Audio (Game 1 | Game 2)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- After falling 3-1 in the series opener Friday afternoon, the Morehead State baseball returned to action at Austin Peay Friday night and recorded 17 hits while getting efficient pitching and defense in a 12-3 win to split the day.
Morehead State is now 27-12 overall and 12-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Governors are now 18-19 overall and 9-11 in the conference.
"We told the team that they can have a good year or they can have a special year," said head coach
Mike McGuire. "To have a special year, we have to win games on the road. We didn't have very many good at-bats and I didn't think we pitched well in the final innings of the first game, but we responded and had a great outing in game two. We certainly pitched well enough in the opener to win, and then we got a very quality performance from Dalton (Stambaugh) and Jake (Ziegelmeyer) in game two"
The offense saw six players record double-digit hit games and the nightcap, including a 4-for-4 day from senior outfielder
Will Schneider. Sophomore leftfielder
Niko Hulsizer totaled three hits and two RBI, including his nation-best 19th home run of the season. He also added an RBI single and also is tied for the national lead now with 58 RBI.
On the mound, Stambaugh improved to 3-1 by fanning four and allowing just four hits and two runs in five frames. Ziegelmeyer, a freshman righty, collected his second save by going the final four innings and striking out four. He even came within one strike of an "immaculate inning" in the seventh when he struck out the first two batters on six pitches and had two strikes on the third before ending with a ground out.
At the plate, sophomore shortstop
Reid Leonard, junior second baseman
Braxton Morris, junior first baseman
Tyler Niemann and senior centerfielder
Ryan Kent all had two hits. Kent set the Morehead State career record for singles in the game, recording his 178th and 179th one-baggers.
In the opening game, senior centerfielder
Michael Patrick delivered a two-out, solo homer to left field in the top of the seventh inning to give the Eagles a 1-0 cushion. But, the Governors got a leadoff homer from Brett
Newberg in the bottom of the inning, and a pair of RBI doubles later to score three times.
Austin
Peay's Zach
Neff came on in relief and did not allow a run in the final 2.1 frames to move to 1-1. The loss went to junior lefty Aaron
Leasher, who was charged with all three runs on just six hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out five but fell to 6-2.
The Eagles were held hitless until the sixth inning when Leonard doubled down the left field line. Morehead State also had runners on second and third with two outs, following a throwing error, in the eighth but could not get an RBI hit.
The teams are set to conclude the series on Saturday. Weather permitting, the game will start at 2 p.m. ET.
