'Breds End Season With 11-4 Victory Over Govs

Saturday, May 17

Clarksville, Tenn.

1:00 p.m.

Murray State

Austin Peay

5/17/2008 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

The Murray State baseball had a bitter-sweet end to the 2008 season as the Thoroughbreds pounded out 17 hits in handing Austin Peay an 11-4 defeat to salvage the final game of the three-game series. The victory was not enough to propel MSU into the OVC Tournament as Tennessee Tech held on for a 7-6 victory over Samford to lock up the sixth and final spot in the postseason.

"I was real proud of the way the guys came out and played today," said head coach Rob McDonald. "They knew what they had to do and came out and played great in a critical game. Unfortunately, not all the scenarios fell into place."

The Governors (27-27, 14-12 OVC) pushed across the first run of the game as Raphael Hill started the bottom of the first with a double to left field. A fly ball to right field moved the runner to third and Tyler Farrar drove in the run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The 'Breds (21-30, 12-14 OVC) got that run back in the second as Elliot Frey started things with a single to center field. After a flyout and a groundout left Frey on second with two outs, Zach Noonan deposited a pitch into right center to tie the game at one.

MSU gained their first lead of the game in the fourth as Frey walked to start the inning. With two outs, Noonan had a bunt base hit and Kyle Tiernan delivered an RBI single through the right side. Blake Helm followed by pulling a ball through the left side for an RBI base hit.

The 'Breds took advantage of another leadoff walk in the fifth as Tyler Owen drew the base on balls and was sacrificed to second by Taylor Thieke. After a wild pitch moved the runner to third, Matt Hon drove a single up the middle to score Owen with the fourth run of the game for MSU.

APSU got one run back in the home-half of the inning as Will Hogue started the inning with a home run to left field.

MSU broke the game wide open in the sixth as they took advantage of a pair of Govs errors to push across seven runs in the inning. Tiernan got things started with a single through the right side. Helm put down a bunt and everybody was safe as the pitcher threw the ball away trying to get Tiernan at second base. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third before Wes Cunningham delivered a sacrifice fly to left field. Owen put runners on the corners with a base on balls before Thieke's RBI groundball to third was booted. Frey singled through the left side to load the bases and Hon came through for the second time with a run-scoring single to center field. Daniel Miller followed with a two-run single up the middle and Noonan plated another run with a double to left center. The final run of the inning would score on a wild pitch.

The Govs got two runs back in the home-half of the sixth as Chad Cunningham beat out an infield single. With one out, Matt Kole singled to right field an both runners advanced one base on the fielding error by the right fielder. Hogue plated one run with a single through the left side and Greg Bachman pushed across the second run with a single up the middle.

The bottom of the order led the offensive charge Hon, Miller and Cunningham combined for seven hits and six runs batted in. Tiernan and Frey each added three hits, while Frey also scored three runs.

Chris Craycraft (5-4) picked up the victory after allowing four runs on eight hits over seven innings. Ryne Harper (3-4) took the loss after giving up three runs on six hits over 3.2 innings.