Donze Pitches Breds to Victory Over Govs

Sunday, March 28

Clarksville, Tenn.

12 p.m.

Murray State

Austin Peay

3/28/2010 8:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State junior left hander Jake Donze struckout nine over a career-best eight innings to help the Breds to their first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season with a 9-6 victory over Austin Peay Sunday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Donze (3-3) allowed five runs on eight hits, and fell just one strikeout shy of tying his career high. Donze came out for the ninth, but failed to retire the first two hitters before being removed.

The Breds (12-11, 1-2 OVC) got on the board in the second inning as Colton Moore singled to right center to start the inning. In a strange play, the APSU threw the wet baseball into the dugout, but time had not been called and Moore was awarded third. Jonathan Craycraft drove in Moore with a grounder to short, and reached when the throw was thrown away. Daniel Hill followed with a double off the fence in left center, ahead of Elliot Frey's RBI single to center field. The final run of the inning scored on a double play.

The Govs (13-10, 2-1 OVC) got on the board in the home-half of the inning as Matt Kole doubled to right center and scored on Daniel Baggett's double to left field. Reed Harper drove in the second run with a single to right field.

MSU added a run in the fourth as Craycraft and Hill walked to start the inning. Following a wild pitch, Frey drove in Craycraft with a groundout to second base.

The Breds extended the lead in the fifth as they put together a four-run rally with two outs. Jason Laws started the rally with a single into the hole at short, followed by a Moore walk and a Craycraft dribbler down the third-base line. Hill cleared the bases with a triple into the corner in right field and scored when the ball got away from the catcher as he tried to apply the tag on Craycraft.

APSU threatened to get right back into the game in the fifth as they loaded the bases with no outs. Donze settling in from there and only gave up one run on a fielder's choice to third off the bat of Jared DeLong. The next two hitters went down swinging to end the threat and the inning.

MSU added an insurance run in the eighth as Frey walked and advanced to second on Brandon Elliott's sacrifice bunt. Kyle Tiernan drove in Frey with a single back up the middle.

The Govs did not go quietly in the ninth as they loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, walk and bunt base hits. Jon Clinard drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right on a diving catch by Hill. With two outs, Trey Lucas plated a run with a single to center field. A walk loaded the bases, before Browett drew a walk to drive in another run.

Stephen Huff (2-3) took the loss after allowing eight runs, four earned, on eight hits and seven strikeouts over six innings.

Craycraft, Hill and Frey each went 2-for-4 at the plate, with Hill and Frey each driving in a pair of runs.

The Breds return to the diamond Tuesday afternoon as they travel to take on Belmont. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.