Big seventh inning sinks Jacks

Saturday, February 17

Sauget, Ill.

5:45 p.m.

South Dakota State University

0-2

Austin Peay

2-0

Austin Peay

South Dakota State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

2/17/2018 10:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SAUGET, Ill. – Austin Peay scored six times in the top of the seventh inning and added a pair of runs in the eighth to defeat South Dakota State, 9-3, in college baseball action Saturday at GSC Credit Union Ballpark.

The Governors improved to 2-0 on the young season, while SDSU dropped to 0-2.

The Jackrabbits carried a 2-1 lead into the late innings behind a strong debut from right-hander Brady Moxham. A sophomore from Oakville, Manitoba, struck out eight and walked only one over five innings. The lone run Moxham allowed came in the third inning, when Garrett Giovannelli singled, stole second and scored on Andrew Flaherty's base hit to right center.

SDSU grabbed a 1-0 lead as Tony Kjolsing hit a solo home run to left two batters into the game. The Jackrabbits regained the lead at 2-1 in the home half of the fifth. Josh Falk led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball and later scored on the lone Austin Peay error of the game.

Austin Peay sent 11 batters to the plate against three different Jackrabbit relievers in the fateful seventh inning. The Governors only managed two hits in the inning and were aided by an error and five walks.

The two eighth-inning runs for the Governors both scored on groundouts after Nick Walker and Giovannelli opened the inning with consecutive singles. Walker and Giovannelli each collected two of Austin Peay's nine hits.

The Jackrabbits' final run of the game came in the home half of the seventh as pinch hitter Anthony Schneider plated Landon Badger with a sacrifice fly. SDSU managed only three hits against three different Austin Peay pitchers, including starter Jacques Pucheu, who struck out nine over 5 1/3 innings.

Otis Roby took the loss in his Jackrabbit debut. After pitching a scoreless sixth inning, Roby ran into trouble in the seventh although only one of the four runs he allowed was earned.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits are scheduled to close out the opening weekend of play by taking on Illinois at 11 a.m. Sunday. The game is slated to be played at the Billiken Sports Center on the Saint Louis University campus.

NOTES
* Austin Peay leads the all-time series, 4-1, including a 2-0 mark this season
* Saturday's game was delayed by weather and later moved; SDSU's scheduled game against Illinois on Saturday was canceled
* Mitchell Oehme pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his Jackrabbit debut
* Moxham's eight strikeouts were the most by an SDSU pitcher since Brett Mogen fanned eight North Dakota State hitters on April 28, 2017
* SDSU batters struck out a total of 14 times in the game
* Nick Smith had his streak of games reaching base safely end at 17, dating back to last season
* Kjolsing reached base for the 16^th consecutive game

-GoJacks.com-