Austin Peay takes ISU series opener

[February 23, 2013]  CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Austin Peay scored in all but three innings as the Governors (4-1, 0-0 OVC) defeated Illinois State (2-2, 0-0 MVC) 9-4 Friday night at Raymond C. Hand Park in Clarksville, Tenn. ISU tallied six hits and left six men on base and Austin Peay never trailed.

Austin Peay ace Lee Ridenhour (2-0) struck out six batters in 6 1/3 innings of work, winning his second consecutive start to open the season. He allowed one run on four hits. Illinois State starter Brad Sorkin (1-1) lasted four innings and allowed five runs, four earned, with two walks and one strikeout.

Jordan Hankins and Reed Harper paced Austin Peay with three hits each, as the Governors outhit Illinois State 14-6. Eric Aguilera launched his first home run of the season in the eighth inning for ISU.

Austin Peay scored twice off Sorkin in the first. Kevin Corey reached on a throwing error from Zac Johnson and scored on Hankin's two-run home run. Illinois State used a two-out rally to cut the deficit to one in the top of the second inning. Mike Hollenbeck drew a walk and scored on the first career RBI single from Marshall Vallandingham. The Governors added two more runs in the second, scoring on a solo home run from P.J. Torres and an RBI single from Rolando Gautier.

Gautier's RBI single in the fourth inning made it 5-1 Austin Peay. The Governors added three runs in the fifth, as the first three batters reached base on singles off Cam Verbeke. Illinois State turned to freshman Jack Landwehr, who allowed a sacrifice fly to Cody Hudson and an RBI single to Dylan Riner before settling to throw two innings of four-hit ball. Landwehr walked two and struck out one.

The Governors added one run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Hudson.

Aguilera's three-run home run in the eighth inning scored Chad Hinshaw and Brett Kay. It would cap the Illinois State scoring.

Steve Heilenbach made his Illinois State debut and worked one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Jeremy Rhoades pitched a scoreless eighth inning and struck out two batters.

The series continues Saturday, when Dylan Craig (0-0, 4.50 ERA) faces Casey Delgado (0-1, 9.64 ERA). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. from Clarksville.

[Text from news release received from Illinois State University]