MARTIN, Tenn. ? Austin Peay struggled both in the circle and at the plate, Wednesday, as the Lady Govs dropped an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader to Tennessee-Martin 5-2 and 3-1.

Austin Peay (10-28, 2-11 OVC) struggled with its pitching right from the opening inning, as Tennessee-Martin got on the board right away in the first inning, as it got back-to-back one-out singles from Chelsea Cary and Megan Van Arsdale, followed by a walk to Savannah Roberts to load the bases.

Laura Roberts would then follow with a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Cary for a 1-0 lead.

Tennessee-Martin would chase Austin Peay starter Abby Mabry in the third, when Megan Williams open the frame with a single up the middle, which was then followed by a home run by Savannah Roberts.

Ashley Bolda would relieve Mabry, but she also gave up two runs in the third ? both coming on a two-run home run by Van Arsdale making it 5-0.

Austin Peay would get on the board in the top of the fourth inning off a Daniella Hooper double driving in Samantha Butts, who had open the inning with a single.

The Lady Govs would make it 5-2 an out later on an Ashley Alverson single up the middle scoring Hooper.

That would be as close as the Lady Govs would get in Game 1, as Tennessee-Martin (22-17, 6-7 OVC) starter Kara Harper held APSU to just two base runners over the final three innings to seal the victory.

Butts and Alverson had two hits each in the opener.

Game 2 saw Austin Peay take its first lead of the day in the top of the fourth inning, as Brittany Williams picked up a single just out of the reach of UTM shortstop Jenny Bain and scored when Tiffany Smith doubled down the left-field line making it 1-0.

But that lead would be short lived.

The Skyhawks scored two times in the bottom of the fifth, in a rally started by a lead-off walk to Van Arsdale ? the number-seven hitter in the Skyhawks lineup.

It was one of seven walks on the day for Lady Govs starter Ashley Elrod.

Tennessee-Martin would take on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.

Elrod walked Greer Long to open the inning and after a sacrifice but moved her into scoring position, Long scored on a single by Laurie Lindow.

Overall, the Lady Govs left 10 runners on base in the Game 2 loss, including bases loaded in the seventh.

No Lady Gov had more than one hit in the nightcap, but Hooper and Williams reached base three times each on a single and two walks.

-AP-