ST. LOUIS (ESPN CLARKSVILLE) – Starting pitcher Brandon Vial and two other pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as Austin Peay State University’s baseball team completed an opening weekend sweep with a 2-0 victory against Illinois, Sunday, at Billiken Sports Center.

Vial (1-0), who won in his Governors debut, held Illinois to five hits through his 7.1 innings but never allowed a hit to snowball into bigger things. Illinois (1-1) got two doubles in the contest but Vial worked his way around both. After a leadoff double in the second, Vial froze the runner with a strikeout, pop out and fly out. In the seventh, Vial surrendered a one-out double and saw the runner reach third on a wild pitch, but he induced a fly out to end the inning.

Vial’s lone walk would come to the last batter he faced before turning the game over to reliever Brett Newberg who closed the eighth by retiring both batters he faced. Kyle Wilson entered in the ninth for his first pitching appearance as a Governor and struck out two of the three batters he faced to record the save.

Austin Peay (3-0) scored both its runs in the third inning with a litany of infield base hits. Left fielder Brandon Kelley opened the barrage with an infield single to second base. Shortstop Garrett Giovannelli followed with a single that just got over the third baseman’s head. Right fielder Nick Walker loaded the bases with a bunt single.

The Governors would convert those base hits into a run as the Fighting Illini gave up a run to turn a double play. But shortstop Garrett Kueber drove in a second run with a hot shot off the third baseman to give Austin Peay a 2-0 lead that the pitching staff made hold up.

Designated hitter John McDonald paced the offense with a 3-for-4 outing in his Austin Peay debut. Kelley and Giovannelli both went 2-for-4 as the Governors pounded out 10 hits in the win.

Illinois starter Cyrillo Watson (0-1) surrendered the two APSU runs on eight hits and four walks over his four innings of work. Right fielder Jack Yalowitz went 2-for-4 to lead the Fighting Illini offense.

Austin Peay returns home to open its home schedule with a 3 p.m., Tuesday contest against Southern Illinois.