CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Indiana State baseball put on a hitting clinic Sunday in the weekend finale of the Austin Peay Invitation, taking down the host Governors, 12-9. The Sycamores finished the night with a season best 21 hits and improved to 2-1 on the season.
 
Dane Giesler led the charge for the Sycamores going 3-for-6 with a homerun and three RBI. Tony Rosselli also added three hits, a homerun and two RBI in the win while junior Tyler Friis led all players with a 4-for-6 night at the plate that included a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning. Seven of the 10 Sycamores that saw plate appearances collected multiple hits.
 
Jeff Zahn, Giesler and Rosselli each scored a pair of runs in the win.
 
The Sycamores entered the eighth inning trailing the Governors 9-7 before Chris Ayers drove in Ryan Toliver who tripled to pull ISU within one. That was when the hot-hitting Giesler picked up his second homerun of the year on a two-run blast.
 
It was insurance runs for Indiana State in the ninth as Friis collected his fourth hit of the night on a single down the right field line scoring a pair.
 
Redshirt junior Jeremy McKinney earned the win after going three and two-third innings and allowing just two hits and striking out five. McKinney allowed only one run in the stretch. 
 
It didn't take long for the Sycamores to get into the scoring action as Tyler Friis singled to lead off the game and then stole second base. That was when Jasper, Indiana native Dane Giesler continued his hot hitting with an RBI double to put ISU on top after the first inning.
 
The Govs (2-1) got into the scoring action not much later when they took the lead on a two-run blast in the second.
 
Indiana State bats came alive again in the fourth inning as they put up four runs after Clay Dungan singled up the middle to score both Zahn and CJ Huntley who reached base to begin the inning. Tony Rosselli came in and hammered out his first homerun of the season to cap off the scoring on a two-run blast.
 
Austin Peay did not waste any time getting back in the game as they scored four in the bottom half of the inning including a bases clearing triple.
 
The teams again traded runs in the fifth. Huntley drove in Zahn on an RBI single up the middle before the Govs picked up one of their two homers of the night in their half. APSU went on to extend their lead to 8-6 in the seventh after grounding into a double play allowing the runner from third to score.
 
Ryan Keaffaber went four and a third innings for the Sycamores in his season debut allowing six hits and six earned runs. The senior struck out three and walked just one in the outing. Keaffaber retired the side in both the first and third innings.
 
The Sycamores will travel to Starkville, Mississippi next weekend for a pair of games against Mississippi State and Marist. Both games against the Bulldogs will air on SEC Network+.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.