CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay's senior utility player Alex Robles showed on Saturday afternoon why he was tabbed the 2017 Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year after turning in a complete game shutout of Jacksonville State, 4-0, at Raymond C. Hand Park.
Weather has plagued the first conference series of the season as Saturday's second game of the weekend set was pushed back two hours after early morning snow showers dusted the Clarksville, Tennessee area.
The delay did not hinder Robles as he went the distance and needed just 94 pitches to record his second win of the season. Robles collected 11 strikeouts and limited the Gamecocks to just three hits in the contest, which is the fewest in an OVC contest for JSU since April 26, 2015 against Southeast Missouri. It was also the first time Jax State was shut out in a league game since Belmont accomplished that on Ma6 3, 2013. Robles also guided APSU to its first blanking of the Gamecocks since a match up in the 2005 OVC Tournament.
The right hander also helped stake himself to an early lead with a two-run single in the first, scoring the first two of three runs off of JSU's
Colton Pate in the opening frame. The Govs would add a third run in the inning on a Dre Gleason sacrifice fly.
After APSU's three-run first, both pitching staffs were solid on a cold afternoon on the diamond. Pate would retire 14 of the next 15 Govs through the fifth inning. The only Gov to reach during that stretch was Robles, who was hit by a Pate pitch with two outs in the third. Pate had a career outing as he matched his career high in innings pitched with five and fanned five.
The JSU bullpen kept JSU in the contest in the final four innings as
Tyler Wilburn,
Peyton Stracener and
Michael McCreless combined to limit APSU to a pair of hits and five strikeouts. JSU's staff combined for 10 strikeouts on the day, the fourth game this season in which the pitching staff has recorded double digit strikeouts. APSU's fourth run came in the sixth with a bases loaded walk.
Freshman
Andrew Naismith had JSU's first hit off of Robles to start the third and senior
Josh Bobo registered the second hit to start the fifth. Freshman
Chase Robinson was the only Gamecock to reach second base after a two-out double in the eighth.
JSU and APSU will close out the first weekend of conference play on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network and live audio and live stats will be accessible at JSUGamecockSports.com.
