CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. ? Austin Peay's softball team dug itself an early hole Sunday afternoon and before they could dig their way out Mother Nature came calling, as the Lady Govs dropped the finale of its three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against Southeast Missouri 7-5, in a game shortened to 4 ½ innings because of rain.
Leading 1-0, Austin Peay (12-32, 2-14 OVC) saw the Redhawks score seven runs ? five unearned -- in the bottom of the first inning aided by two walks by Austin Peay starter Lacey Briscoe and two errors by shortstop Janea McCoy.
Jennifer Vasquez (single) and Tiffany Blanco (triple) had the big hits for SEMO (18-19, 7-8 OVC) during the scoring outburst, with both driving in two runs each. Carmen Fowler had the other RBI, coming on a double.
Austin Peay would start to mount its rally in the top of the fourth on Catie Cozart's two-run home run ? her second of the series ? which came after Brittany Williams drew a one-out walk.
The Lady Govs would continue to chip away at the deficit by scoring two more runs in the top of the fifth.
Ashley Taylor would open the inning with a single up the middle and moved to third an out later, when Ashley Alverson's ground ball was mishandled by SEMO's Fowler at second base.
Taylor would score on a sacrifice fly by Williams, making it 7-4, which was then followed by Cozart being hit by a pitch and Krista Henke and Tiffany Smith receiving back-to-back walks. The walk to Smith forced in Alverson making it 7-5.
But Southeast Missouri got out of the inning without any further damage when Detra Farley grounded out to pitcher Giana Zimmerman with the bases loaded.
That last out made the game official and before the Lady Govs could even get out on the field for their turn to play defense in the fifth inning, the skies opened and heavy rain forced the tarp to be brought out.
The two teams and game officials waited two hours and thirty minutes ? and two bouts of rain showers ? before umpires finally called the game.
Austin Peay had jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, with Randal Davenport drawing a walk to open the game and proceeded to steal second base to get into scoring position. After Taylor went down on strikes, Davenport scored on Daniella Hooper's single up the middle.
-AP-
