CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. --Â A late-inning two-run homer by sophomore
Ryan Layne, game-winning RBI single by senior
Hunter Fain, and a game-saving catch by senior
Connor Pauly helped the Morehead State baseball team rally and fend off host Austin Peay 4-3 Saturday in an OVC series finale at Hand Park.
"After yesterday, we were reeling just a bit, but it's a long season and we knew we had to get right back up," said head coach
Mike McGuire. "Credit our guys for fighting and finding a way to win today."
Morehead State staked itself to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. With the bases loaded, junior DH
Jon Burghardt lifted a sac fly to shallow left field, but sophomore first baseman
Stephen Hill's speed beat the throw to the plate and he slid in around the tag.
The Govs bolted into the lead in the third when Garret Spain belted a three-run opposite-field homer.
A three-run seventh inning lifted the Eagles back into the advantage. Layne provided a big blow with a two-run round-tripper to right field, his first bomb of the season, to tie the game 3-3Â . It followed Hill's double off the wall in center field. Fain drove in the go-ahead run with a single to left field to score junior
Dom Peroni. Senior left-fielder
Jake Hammon kept the inning going by beating out a throw on a wild pitch on a third strike but was called out trying to score on Fain's single.
Pauly robbed the Govs of the potential go-ahead home run in the seventh inning off the bat of Aaron Campbell.
Layne led the seven-hit attack with two. Senior shortstop
Reid Leonard also had a single to push his reached-base streak to 34 games.
On the mound, junior starter
Jason Goe worked 6.1 innings and recorded eight strikeouts. Closer
Jake Ziegelmeyer picked up his seventh save, the most by an Eagle since
Tyler Keele in 2016, by recording the final eight outs with four punchouts.
The Eagles will continue action on Tuesday at nationally-ranked Tennessee. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET.
