By: WJBC Staff
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Illinois State baseball team spotted its opponent runs in the first inning for the second day in a row, but the Redbirds were unable to overcome an early deficit as they did in their season opener Friday, falling to Austin Peay Saturday at the Riverview Inn Governors Challenge at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Governors won Saturday’s game, 9-4.
Austin Peay (2-0) scored three runs in the top of the first inning to build a lead Illinois State (1-1) could not overcome. Ryan Hutchinson reached base four times with a double, single and two walks, and freshman Joe Butler hit a two-run home run in his first collegiate at-bat, but the Redbirds were unable to match Austin Peay’s offensive firepower in the loss.
“You have to give Austin Peay credit,” said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. “They ran three lefties out there against us and held us in check. They kept the ball down, walked us only twice, and when we did have a couple chances in the middle innings, they just seemed to make a pitch to get out of it.”
Austin Peay started fast with three runs in the first inning. Chase Hamilton brought the first run in with a double down the right field line. Dre Gleason plated the next two with a double to center.
Illinois State got one run back when Derek Parola scored on Hutchinson’s infield single in the third, but the Govs reclaimed a three-run lead when Chase Hamilton stole second and came all the way around to score on a pair of Illinois State errors in the bottom half.
The Redbirds were primed to cut into the Govs’ lead in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with no outs, but had to settle for just a single tally, produced by an Owen Miller sacrifice fly.
Austin Peay got that run back and some more in the bottom half of the inning, however, thanks to a two-run homer by Parker Phillips, followed moments later by a solo shot from Alex Robles.
The Govs added single tallies in the sixth and seventh innings. Garrett Giovannelli’s squeeze bunt scored Imani Willis in the sixth, and Cayce Bredlau was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.
The Redbirds put their first crooked number of the day on the scoreboard in the eighth inning when, in his first collegiate at-bat, Butler homered over the left-field fence to bring the game to its final score.
Illinois State employed the services of seven pitchers Saturday, including five who made their Redbird debut. Starter David Meade allowed four runs over two innings. The next five pitchers made their first-career appearances for Illinois State, as Brady Huffman, Jacob Gilmore, Braden Niksich, Michael Sebby and Nick Alvarado followed Meade. Most impressive was Huffman, who struck out three over two shutout innings of work. Jeffrey Barton finished out the game for the Redbirds with 1.1 scoreless innings.
