Racers Take Care of Business at Austin Peay

Wednesday, March 27

Clarksville, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Murray State

11-13

Austin Peay

12-11

Murray St.

Austin Peay

Ryan Perkins

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

3/27/2019 9:57:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

For the third time in four opportunities this season, the Murray State baseball team left the field victorious over Austin Peay after defeating the Governors, 8-3, Wednesday evening at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The Racers improve to 11-13 while APSU falls to 12-11. This game did not count toward OVC standings or the Battle of the Border.

"I told the guys that this could have been a trap game with it being the last midweek game before an off weekend, but they showed up ready to go today right off the bat, scoring two in the first and really had great at-bats all game," said head coach Dan Skirka. "All six pitchers attacked the zone with only two walks and made some defensive plays when we needed to and kept the momentum going."

Ryan Perkins went 2-3 with a home run and four runs batted in. Jordan Holly also added two hits, including a home run.

Six Racer pitchers combined to allow just three runs and struck out nine. Joe Ivey started the game and went four innings while striking out four and allowing just one run to earn the win.

Austin Peay put runners on all game but when the situation got tougher, the Racer pitchers buckled down as they held the Governors to 0-16 with runners in scoring position.

The scoring started early for the Racers as they loaded the bases without out a hit before Perkins knocked in a pair with a bloop single that landed just fair inside the left field line.

The Governors got a run back in the second, but Perkins answered in the fourth with a two-run home run to right. The right fielder gave a courtesy jog after it, but the whole ballpark knew the ball was gone as soon as it left the bat.

In the fifth, Jake Slunder knocked in the Racers' fifth run with a chopper over the drawn-in third baseman's head to drive in Holly. After two straight strikeouts, Austin Peay learned their lesson and intentionally walked Perkins to load the bases for Jaron Robinson. However, Robinson made them pay with a two-run two-out single up the middle to make it a 7-1 game.

After APSU cut into the lead in the fifth with two runs, Holly got a run back in the sixth with the first home run of his collegiate career, going back to his playing days at Walters State.

That was all the scoring in the game as Braydon Cook, Blake Clynes, and Peyton Hayes combined to throw three scoreless innings to end the game.

Tonight's win also erased some demons for the senior class as this was their first win in Clarksville in seven games.

In a rare instance in college baseball, the Racers will have the weekend off and will return to action with two-midweek games next week as they will travel to Middle Tennessee, Tuesday before hosting Missouri State, Wednesday.