Five-Run Third Inning Pushes Austin Peay Past Trojans, 8-4

Courtesy University of Arkansas at Little Rock Athletics Department

CLARKSVILLE – The UALR baseball team (9-7) dropped its final game of the Austin Peay Riverview Inn Classic by a score of 8-4, falling to the Austin Peay Governors (13-2) on Sunday afternoon. With a 2-for-5 day at the plate, junior Ben Crumpton totaled six hits on the weekend (6-14) and extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Seniors John Clark and Myles Parma both tacked on two hits apiece for UALR, while junior Bryson Thionnet enjoyed a 2-for-5 day at the plate with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs. UALR pounded out 11 hits on the afternoon, compared to 12 for the Governors of Austin Peay.

In the top of the third inning, a two-out, RBI-double by senior Chris Burk gave the Trojans their first run of the afternoon and knotted the score at one. The double to right center scored Thionnet who reached base on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning.

Austin Peay opened up the game in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs in the frame. All of the Governor’s runs in the inning came with two outs. After back-to-back RBI-singles, a three-run home run by Austin Peay’s P. J. Torres capped the five-run inning for the Governors and gave them a 6-1 lead.

UALR starting pitcher Ethan Schlechte recorded 3.1 innings of work, but yielded eight hits and six earned runs in his fourth outing of the season. For Schlechte, Sunday’s start was his first loss of the year.

Cameron Allen pitched in relief of Schlechte, but the Governors proved to be unkind to the sophomore, knocking him out of the game after 1.2 innings. Senior Bubba Cooper pitched the final three innings for UALR and limited the Governors to just one hit during that span. Cooper struck out three of the nine batters he faced, while keeping Austin Peay off the scoreboard.

Down 8-1 in the seventh inning, Thionnet belted a two-run home run over the right field fence, bringing the score to 8-3. Thionnet’s homerun was his team-leading fourth of the season and his second in as many games. Thionnet also added an RBI-single in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Crumpton for UALR’s final run of the afternoon.

UALR returns to action Tuesday, March 12 when they host the University of Texas at Arlington. First pitch from Gary Hogan Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.

 

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