FLORENCE, Ala. (Interstat) – Petey Craska homered and drove in three runs as North Alabama defeated Austin Peay 8-4 on Saturday afternoon at Braly Municipal Stadium, completing a three-game series sweep in ASUN play.

The Lions improved to 28-26 overall and 16-14 in the ASUN. The Governors fell to 24-30 and 13-17.

Craska, a first baseman, went 1 for 3 with a two-run home run in the third inning that pulled North Alabama within one run. He later drew a bases-loaded walk in the decisive sixth inning. Hunter Bell earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit. Reese Young started for North Alabama and went 3 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts.

Austin Peay took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning before recording an out. The Governors loaded the bases on a walk, a stolen base and a hit batter, and Houston Hebert delivered a two-run double down the right-field line in the second. Hebert finished 1 for 4 with two RBIs.

Drew DeLucia started for Austin Peay and allowed three earned runs on two hits over four innings, striking out three. Aaron Lewis worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

North Alabama chipped away. After Austin Peay’s four-run first, the Lions answered in the bottom of the second. Millard walked, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on LePage’s single up the middle.

Craska’s home run in the third, his 12th of the season, cut the deficit to 4-3.

Austin Peay added a run in the top of the fourth on a groundout by Conley, but the Governors managed only four hits over the final five innings.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 4-3, North Alabama sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs to take the lead for good.

Santoyo walked to start the inning. LePage singled to left center, putting runners at the corners. Loving followed with a bunt single that scored Santoyo and sent LePage to second. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Wes walked to load the bases.

Austin Peay brought in reliever Kade Foulke, who issued a walk to Craska that forced in LePage and made it 5-4. Rippen then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Loving. Another wild pitch moved Craska to second and Wes to third. Walker was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, and Millard walked to force in another run, extending the lead to 7-4.

Lewis entered and got Santoyo to fly out to left field to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, North Alabama added an insurance run. Cole doubled to left field and Cheek came in as a pinch runner. After an intentional walk to Rippen and a strikeout, Millard singled to left center to score Cheek and push the margin to 8-4.

Austin Peay threatened in the ninth, getting two runners on base with one out, but Matias grounded into a double play to end the game.

The sweep was the Lions’ third consecutive win over the Governors this season and their fourth in five meetings overall. North Alabama won the opener 9-2 on Thursday and took game two 6-1 on Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of North Alabama 5, Austin Peay 4, while Interstat’s ELO system gave Austin Peay a 64.00 percent probability to win.