CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Austin Peay baseball team had a tough weekend at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Govs welcomed in the rival North Alabama Lions for a three-game home set, and the Lions ended up taking all three games. Sunday’s finale was the ugliest, as the Govs got run-ruled and lost 15-5 in eight innings.
This is the first time the Govs have been swept in a series since the 2023 season. Last week, the Govs were in a three-way tie for first place in the Gold Division of the ASUN. Now, the Govs are tied for fourth and are sitting at 7-8 in conference play and 16-20 overall.
The frustrating part of this series is that the Govs had chances to win all three games. In Friday’s opener, the Govs led 2-0 after the first inning before giving up nine runs in the final six innings and losing 9-3. On Saturday, the team once again had a 2-0 lead after the first inning, only to lose 13-12 after a late rally came up short. Finally, on Sunday, the team had a 3-1 lead before allowing 11 runs in two innings and losing by 10.
After the Sunday game, head coach Roland Fanning was understandably disappointed, but also gave credit to the Lions for coming in ready to play. “That was totally my fault today,” said Fanning. “But give credit to UNA for coming in here and winning three games. We got beat in an unusual fashion.”
However, Fanning is still optimistic that his team can turn things around with plenty of season left.
“There’s no quit on our coaching staff, there’s no quit in our team,” Fanning said. “The only way this doesn’t turn around is if guys turn around and stop playing the way they’re supposed to. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”
The good news is, the Govs are only three games back of the division lead with 15 conference games still to play. The team has a chance to get back in the win column on Tuesday when they welcome Tennessee Tech to Clarksville.
The Govs travelled to Cookeville to take on Tennessee Tech last week and dropped that contest 7-5. Now, the team is hoping their fortunes will improve for their home rematch against the Golden Eagles. First pitch will be on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Raymond C. Hand Park. With a win, the Govs will improve to 17-20 overall as they prepare for this weekend’s series against Bellarmine.
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