NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — DJ Merriweather pitched 7 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and struck out eight as the Austin Peay Governors defeated the Lipscomb Bisons 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium.

Merriweather, who allowed only one earned run on a solo home run by Lipscomb center fielder Hutson Miles in the fifth inning, did not surrender a hit in his outing. He walked two batters and faced 28 Bisons before being relieved by Gavin Alveti in the eighth. Merriweather’s performance was the centerpiece of a series finale in which Austin Peay avoided a three-game sweep after dropping the first two games of the ASUN series by scores of 10-11 on Saturday and 5-6 on Friday.

The Governors jumped on the board first in the top of the third inning. After singles by Lyle Conley and Dalton Hebert put runners on first and second with no outs, TJ Costello sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Jacob Pridgen then reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Conley for a 1-0 lead. Austin Peay left two runners stranded when the inning ended.

Lipscomb answered in the bottom of the fifth when Miles led off with a home run to right field to tie the game at 1-1. The Bisons threatened for more when catcher Brock Beddingfield doubled to left, but Merriweather retired the next three batters to escape the inning.

The Governors reclaimed the lead in the sixth inning. With one out, Kyler Proctor doubled down the left-field line and Conley singled to put runners on the corners. Hebert walked to load the bases, and Costello delivered a two-run single to right field, scoring Proctor and Conley to make it 3-1. Austin Peay left the bases loaded after a foul out and a groundout.

Austin Peay added insurance in the seventh. With one out, Ty Wisdom hit a solo home run to center field, extending the lead to 4-1. Proctor followed with a single but was left on base.

In the eighth, the Governors manufactured another run. Costello walked and Pridgen and Lane Taylor each walked to load the bases. Lipscomb reliever Cameron Guise entered and allowed a sacrifice fly to right field by Julian Matias, scoring Costello for a 5-1 lead.

Austin Peay scored its final run in the top of the ninth when Proctor singled and advanced to second on the throw. Conley reached on a throwing error by Guise, allowing Proctor to score unearned.

Lipscomb mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth against Alveti. Kaden Mahan singled and Miles singled, with Miles advancing to second on a throwing error by shortstop Johnson. Beddingfield grounded out to first base for an RBI, scoring Mahan to cut the deficit to 6-2. But Alveti induced a groundout from pinch-hitter Drew Ramirez to end the game.

Merriweather’s start was his longest and best of the season. He came into the game with a 2-4 record and a 5.03 ERA after allowing five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the same Lipscomb team the previous day. His no-hit bid was broken only by Miles’ home run.

For Austin Peay, Proctor finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Wisdom went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Costello was 1-for-1 with two RBIs and two walks. The Governors had eight hits and made two sacrifice hits.

Lipscomb starter Collin Bosley-Smith took the loss after allowing two earned runs on two hits over five innings, striking out four. Miles was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Beddingfield had the Bisons’ only other extra-base hit, a double, and drove in a run. Lipscomb finished with seven hits.

The Governors improved to 21-23 overall and 11-13 in ASUN play. The Bisons fell to 19-21 overall and 10-14 in conference. Austin Peay returns home to face Western Kentucky on Tuesday, while Lipscomb hosts Tennessee Tech on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Austin Peay 5, Lipscomb 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Governors a 53.30 percent probability to win the game.