CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A 10th-inning home run by fourth-year junior Greg Nichols pushed the Illinois State baseball team past Austin Peay in a 14-13 slugfest at Raymond C. Hand Park on Sunday.
The Redbirds trailed 10-5 after five innings and 13-12 after eight innings.
Nichols (3-5, HR, 2B, three RBI, two runs, BB) was one of five Redbirds with multiple hits and RBI (third-year junior Auggie Rasmussen - 2-4, 2B, three RBI, run, BB; third-year junior Luke Cheng - 2-5, two 2B, two RBI, two runs, BB; freshman Daniel Pacella - 2-5, three RBI; fourth-year junior Adrian Flores - 4-6, HR, two RBI, two runs).
Third-year junior Elijah Dale was credited with the win after holding the Governors scoreless in the final three innings after he surrendered the lead in the 7th inning. Fourth-year junior Erik Kubiatowicz preceded Dale with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pacella's two-RBI single in the 1st inning highlighted a highly offensive first three innings as each team scored in each of the first three frames. APSU led, 6-5, after three and 10-5 after four.
In the 6th inning, Cheng laced a two-RBI double off the center field fence before Nichols rattled the right-center field fence with a run-scoring double of his own, bringing the Redbirds to within 10-9
Flores hit a two-run shot to left field to give ISU an 11-10 lead before Nichols drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the margin.
APSU scored three times in the 7th inning to retake the lead, but Rasmussen's 9th-inning sacrifice fly plated freshman Shai Robinson to tie the game.
Nichols led off the 10th inning with a home run to center field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
QUOTES
Holm: "What we did is pretty tough to do in college baseball. We talked about trying to keep our emotions from going so high and so low. We did a great job of that ... Greg [Nichols] was great all series. They made some adjustments to their park this year so the fence is further in but a lot taller and he was just able to elevate it enough to sneak over ... That was a gutsy performance and there's a lot of good things coming from [Elijah Dale]."
Greg Nichols: "It was a huge win. I think we kept our composure and battled through the adversity that we had ... (on 10th- inning home run) "I got a fastball in and got my hands through. I put the best swing on it as I could and it ended up working out."
Elijah Dale: "It felt great. I had my teammates behind me and it was a great team win."
UP NEXT
Illinois State is scheduled to play on Tuesday at SIUE at 3:00 p.m. CT.
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