OXFORD, Miss. – (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) Austin Peay State University’s baseball team mounted a furious midgame charge but a late Ole Miss rally denied it a chance for the comeback win in a 11-4 loss, Tuesday night at Swayze Field.
Austin Peay (8-4) trailed 5-1 after four innings but it pieced together a furious two-out rally in the fifth. Five consecutive Govs posted hits with two outs with second baseman Garrett Giovannelli, left fielder Nick Walker and designated hitter Andrew Flaherty each driving in a run and slashing the deficit to 5-4.
No. 9 Ole Miss (11-1) went to its bullpen after the Flaherty’s single and righty Will Stokes (1-0) retired the first batter he faced to end the fifth and six of the seven batters he faced to keep the Govs off the board. The Rebels then turned to Will Ethridge who notched his season’s first save by retiring all six batters he faced.
The Rebels offense could not solve the Governors bullpen for four innings but put together their own five-hit rally in the eighth inning to break the game open. Third baseman Tyler Keenan’s three-run home run was the frame’s big blow and ended any chance of a late Govs rally.
Walker led the Govs offense with a 2-for-4, two RBI performance that included a third-inning RBI double for the Govs first run. Shortstop Garrett Kueber also went 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Kyle Wilson (0-1) made his first start as a Governor and allowed four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings but was left with the loss.
Rebels left fielder Thomas Dillard hit home runs in each of his first two at-bats as part of a 2-for-4, four RBI outing. Keenan also went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Austin Peay continues its five-game Spring Break road trip with a 6 p.m., Wednesday contest at Samford in Birmingham, Alabama. Starters will be announced prior to the scheduled first pitch.