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The 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship got underway with an elimination game on Tuesday night.
The game, part of the newly expanded eight-team field this season, saw No. 7 seed Austin Peay eliminate No. 8 seed UT Martin.
This season marks the 39th time the event has been held and the first time the event has been held at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama. The venue is run by the Oxford Parks & Recreation Department which oversaw the completion of the 370-acre sports complex which includes baseball, soccer, softball and track & field/cross country facilities. The first major event hosted at the complex was the 2016 OVC Softball Championship held in May of this past year; the 2017 OVC Softball Championship was also held at the same site earlier this month. This year also marks an expansion from six to eight teams with a new bracket.
Tickets, which can be purchased in person at the park, will be $10 per day or $25 for an all-session pass (up to 14 total games). There is also an $5 a day rate for college students with ID as well as children 6-12 years old (children 5 and under are free). All seats are general admission for the OVC Championship.
The entire tournament is being streamed live and free of charge on the
OVC Digital Network. The games are available in HD and available on any computer, tablet or smart phone, as well as Roku streaming devices. The games will air live and are immediately available on-demand.
Game 1: #7 Austin Peay 6, #8 UT Martin 2
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#7 AUSTIN PEAY 6, #8 UT MARTIN 2
OXFORD, Ala. - Freshman catcher Parker Phillips hit a first inning grand slam, and following a nearly three and a half hour rain delay, Chase Hamilton added a two-run shot as No. 7 seed Austin Peay eliminated No. 8 seed UT Martin by a 6-2 margin.
The home run was the 12th of the year for Phillips, establishing a new Austin Peay single-season freshman home run record.
The score remained 4-0 in favor of the Govs after four innings when a storm system moved into the area and delayed the game three hours and 32 minutes.
After the game restarted at 11 p.m., UTM struck first after the delay when Tyler Albright singled home two runs.
But Hamilton added his team-leading 14th home run in the bottom of the frame to account for the final score.
Caleb Powell (4-4) picked up the victory, allowing only one hit over four innings in relief. Alex Robles recorded the final out to pick up his third save of the season.
Dalton Westfall (5-6) took the loss to UT Martin, who saw its season end with 25 overall victories, the most for the program in its Division I era.
Austin Peay advances to play No. 2 seed Morehead State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.