Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Matt Highland was 4 for 5 with two doubles and four RBIs Saturday, but No.30 Austin Peay completed the sweep of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference baseball series with a 16-5 win Saturday at Raymond C. Hand Park.
The Cougars finished the season 16-35 overall and10-20 in the OVC. Austin Peay, which has won 12 straight games, improved to 42-13 overall and 22-7 in the OVC. The Governors will be the No. 2 seed at next week's OVC Tournament.
"It was a tough season," SIUE Interim Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "This is not exactly how we wanted to end it.
"We started the season believing we were a conference tournament team," Stoecklin continued. "It didn't end up that way for various reasons."
Starter Sam Hopkins (1-7) took the loss for SIUE. He allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits over two innings.
Reed Harper, Cody Hudson, and Tommy Hager all had three hits for the Governors. Seven players in the Austin Peay lineup had at least two hits. Kevin Corey pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win in relief for APSU.
Seniors Travis Becherer and Joel Greatting both enjoyed a strong sendoff to their SIUE careers. Becherer was 3 for 4 with two runs scored. He also stole his 20th base of the year establishing a new career high. Greatting was 2 for 4. Greatting also pitched the eighth inning for the Cougars.
Senior pitchers also played a role Saturday. Brooks McDowell tossed 1/3 of an inning in relief. Drew Staples pitched two innings. Dylan Brown added 2 2/3 innings for the Cougars.
In all, nine seniors finished their Cougar careers Saturday.
"They're all great kids," Stoecklin said of the seniors. "They are all going to be successful in whatever they choose. They made a lot of sacrifices to help this program through the transition period."
