MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (April 13, 2025) – The University of North Alabama baseball team split the final day double header against Austin Peay on Sunday in Muscle Shoals, securing its third conference series win this season. 
This is the Governor's first conference series loss in the Atlantic Sun Gold Division this season, as the Lions won the opener and finale.

North Alabama lost the first game on Sunday by a score of 20-0. However, the Lions rallied for a game three win 16-12 to set season highs in runs and hits.   

Game 1 – Austin Peay 20, North Alabama 0 (7 innings) 
The Lions (12-21, 7-7 ASUN) were held hitless in the first game of the doubleheader; the first time since 1975 when Jacksonville State's Roger Mayo last did it. The Lions were run ruled in seven innings down 20-0.  

North Alabama threw four combined pitchers with Anthony Pingeton earning the start. Landon Scruggs, Kyle Lewis and Justus Agosto finished out the game.  

Austin Peay (27-8, 12-2 ASUN) had a good night of rest as the Govs had 23 hits to score 20 total runs. Lyndon Glidwell got the start and went the whole way tossing the hitless shutout.  

Pitchers of Record 
W – Lyndon Glidewell (5-0) 
L –  Anthony Pingeton (1-3) 
S – N/A 


Game 2 – North Alabama 16, Austin Peay 12 
The Lions (13-21, 8-7 ASUN) resurged in game two with the 16-12 victory over the Austin Peay Governors (27-9, 12-3 ASUN). In the bottom of the seventh, North Alabama tied their most runs in an inning with seven, last achieved on Sunday, April 6 against Bellarmine. 

A monumental game sees the Lions amass the most runs in a game this season with 16 and the most hits in a game this season with 18. The 16 RBIs is a new season high, only allowing the 10 RBI Friday game to live for two days.  

The team tied the season-high for doubles with four, sacrifice flies with two and batters hit by a pitch with four.  

To say the bats were hot is a disservice.  

North Alabama hit .462 for the final game. The next best average this season is .325 in a conference win over Central Arkansas on March 16. Lead-off batters went 7-for-8 while 12 hits came with runners on the base path.  

The Lions had four two-out RBIs while the defense stranded 11 Governors on the bases and kept a clean sheet for a 1.000 fielding percentage.  

Seven of the nine starting Lions scored a run during the highlight day. Those same seven all recorded a hit while Ethan Walker and West were late game substitutions that also plated a run and earned a hit. A total of 9 of the 11 Lions scored at least once and hit at least once today. 

North Alabama had four players, Alex Wilson, Matthew Delgado and Leighton Jenkins with three runs apiece. Petey Craska crossed the plate twice himself with his .500 final game where he added an RBI and double to the box score.  

Ryan West and Delgado combined for 10 RBIs as West had four. Delgado's six RBI and four hit day is best for single game season highs for any player on the team. 

Leighton Jenkins went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a double. Jonthan Lane went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run. However, the most notable is that he set the season high for being hit by a pitch with two today. Craska and Nash Rippen both wore the other two. 

Four pitchers got work for the Lions in game two as Reese Young got the start. He went two innings and added two strikeouts to his season total. John Allen Stogner went the next 2.2 and provided a steadiness while only allowing three hits. Two of his three innings pitched went scoreless. 

Two familiar faces reappeared from game one with Gavin Oswald pitching three innings, allowing only one run and earning his first career win as a Lion. This was Oswald's longest appearance this season, with his recent mark being 2.2 innings at Eastern Kentucky. 

Luke Davenport recorded the save, going the final 1.1 innings for no hits and no runs to close out the Governors. 

After game two and the first of the doubleheader, the Governors started quickly again with a double and a single that drove the runner in for the quick first inning lead…something the Governors did every game of the series.  

However, Alex Wilson made sure that the first doubleheader game would not happen again as he doubled first pitch. Then the 'Delly Celly' came as Delgado found the right part of the bat to send it yard over left center for the 2-1 lead.  

Then, game one woes struck in the top of the second. The Govs doubled on the second pitch before a single placed two in scoring position. A fielder's choice got the put out at home but the next batter homered to left. A loaded diamond saw another home run to score eight runs to balloon the lead back up 9-2.  

However, the Lions did not flinch. Bryant Loving put the shortstop in a bind as he put him on his back leg for the speedster to beat out the throw. Think Jenkins gave the ball a hint of magic as he tight roped it down third base line for a score and his own double. 

Wilson singled to put runners on the corner. Delgado then singled right up the middle for another score to make it 9-4.  

Enter J.A. Stogner and tell the senior he has six pitches. As he faced the top of the lineup, he flew out the first Governor for pitch one. He popped up batter number two to Lane at second. In a 2-1 count, got Cameron Nickens out as Craska pitched it over to Stogner at first.  

Here came the Lions again. Rippen faced a shifted infield all weekend long. This time, he singled to shortstop, where no one was home since the defender hovered over second. Rippen stole second in the next at-bat.  

A couple of batters struck out before Jenkins singled a blooper over the pitcher's head into no man's land. Jenkins then stole second to have two in scoring position. Wilson walked to load the bases. Craska then was hit by the pitch for an RBI. Delgado singled up the middle again for two more runs to cross, which made it 9-7.  

Stogner kept Austin Peay quiet in the fourth, but a pitching change for the Governors did the same to the Lions.  

APSU continued to show their big bats with a triple in the top of the fifth before a home run scored two more, extending the lead once again. Oswald enetered for the final out where he caught the runner at first on a pick-off.  

Then the teams battled it out for the next inning. Oswald walked the first of the seventh inning before striking out the ASUN home run leader in John Bay. A single and a fielder's choice left Govs on the corners with two outs. Then Oswald laced it past the Governor for three strikes, catching him swinging.

It all started with Jenkins in the bottom of the seventh, down 11-7. The senior singled to left field and then advanced to second as the catcher could not contain a pitch. Wilson walked and then so did Craska to load the bases which forced a pitching change.  

Delgado found another single on the first pitch of the new pitcher which scored Jenkins. Wes Walker got the walk which gave him an RBI as Ethan Walker came in to pinch run. Lane was hit by a pitch to score another.  

A base cleaner was needed. Ryan West provided. A double down the left field line plated all runners on base and allowed West to provide his dugout with some juice.  

The man that started the inning, finished it with a statement as his single to between the first and second baseman scored West for a seven-run inning.  

The Govs added a solo shot home run in the eighth to trim the lead back to two, 14-12.  

Nevertheless, head coach Jad Prachniak and company needed some insurance and found in the bottom of the inning. Craska opened with a big double on the first pitch. Delgado walked on four straight balls. Ethan Walker stepped in as the designated hitter and immediately saw a second pitching change of the inning. 

Walker was not fazed has he put a heater past the first baseman who crept up, expecting the bunt. As the Governor slipped, trying to make a play, Walker landed safely at first to load the bases.  

Lane hit a sacrifice fly out to right field but Craska slid in headfirst, beating the throw. Rippen was hit by a pitch in a full count, again loading the bases.  

West the flied out to center field which scored Delgado, which scored West's fourth RBI of the game. The two-run inning helped push the lead back to four. 

Davenport finished the eighth with a strikeout and was tasked with closing out the game. The freshman faced the heart of the Governor lineup. 

He hit Bay in a 1-1 count. Then Nickens came up and sent a shot to center that sent Wilson back, throwing his hand up to cover the sun. He did, successfully as he secured out one of the final inning.  

Davenport then walked the next batter in five pitches, placing a second runner aboard and one in scoring position.  

Next up was the 6-foot-5 Cole Johnson in the fifth hole. Davenport held a curveball that placed perfectly over the center of the plate for strike one. 

The freshman worked the right-handed batter back the other way as he jammed him into a grounder to Jenkins at short. The shortstop pitched to Lane at second who then relayed to first to secure the final two outs of the ball game. 

The team erupted as they handed the Governors their first conference series loss of the season, marking their first series win over APSU since 2023.  

"It was a hard-fought series win, we appreciate our guys staying persistent," said Prachniak. "We stayed the course and kept pushing and were able to breakthrough. Contributions from up and down the lineup; our bullpen did a great job to allow our offense a chance to get back in it."

Pitchers of Record 
W – Gavin Oswald (1-0) 
L –  Kade Shatwell (1-2) 
S – Luke Davenport (2) 


COMING UP NEXT 
After playing six games this week, the Lions get a day of rest before the Samford Bulldogs come to town on Tuesday, April 15 with first pitch at 4:00 p.m. This will be the second meeting this season.  


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