SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Austin Peay 4, Jacksonville State 0
AUSTIN PEAY 4, JACKSONVILLE STATE 0
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - For the second straight game, Austin Peay State University’s baseball team received a stellar pitching performance. Saturday, it was starting pitcher Alex Robles’ turn as he threw a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Jacksonville State at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Robles (2-2) set the tone right from the opening pitch, retiring the first six batters he faced before allowing a leadoff single in the third inning. He would see a batter reach on an error in the fourth before allowing another single in the fifth. However, none of those three runners would reach second base.
After the second single against him, Robles settled back in and retired the 10 batters in order. The next hit was an eighth inning double that supplied Jacksonville State (7-6, 0-2 OVC) with its only runner in scoring position for the contest. Robles would respond with his fourth strikeout in a five-batter span to end the inning.
In the ninth, Robles opened with a strikeout and ground out before issuing a two-out walk – his only free pass of the day. He then ended the day by freezing a batter for his 11 strikeout.
Not only did Robles keep the Gamecocks off balance with his arm, he also beat them with his bat. Austin Peay (8-6, 2-0 OVC) opened the game with leadoff single from left fielder Max Remy and back-to-back bunts from second baseman Garrett Giovannelli and right fielder Chase Hamilton to load the bases. Robles stepped to the plate and laced a single into right center, driving in two runs. First baseman Dre Gleason would add a run courtesy a sacrifice fly and the Govs were out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back.
Robles bounced back from consecutive losses to limit Jacksonville State to three hits and a walk over nine innings. He struck out 11 batters – six of those coming in the final nine outs. Robles needed just 94 pitches to notch his second career shutout and fifth career complete game.
Robles also led the Govs offense with a 2-for-3, two RBI outing. After his game-winning hit in the first, he was hit by a pitch, singled and scored in the sixth and reached on an error in the seventh. Gleason and pinch hitter Cayce Bredlau also had an RBI each without recording a hit in the contest.
Jacksonville State starter Colton Pate (0-2) held Austin Peay to three runs on three hits over five innings but could not top Robles’ outing.