CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Austin Peay's softball team dropped to 0-4 at the University of Chattanooga Frost Classic Saturday after dropping 8-1 and 6-1 decisions to Ball State and Rutgers.

Giving up runs in the first inning continued to plague Austin Peay (3-8) in the opener, as the Lady Govs were touched up for three runs by Ball State (4-4) in its first at bat.

Austin Peay sophomore starter Ashley Bolda committed one of the cardinal sins for a pitcher - walk the first batter of the inning - which came back to haunt her two batters later, as Jesse Ware homered to give Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Morgan Brewer relieved Bolda, but was greeted by back-to-back doubles, which drove in another run, making it 3-0 Ball State.

Austin Peay would end its' scoreless inning streak in the tournament at 15 in the top of the fourth, as senior Brittany Williams homered to straight away center field to cut the deficit to 3-1.

That would be as close as the Lady Govs would get, as Ball State scored three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth for the 8-1 final.

Along with Williams' home run, the Lady Govs got hits from sophomore Catie Cozart and junior Detra Farley. Sophomore Amy Mills reached twice on walks.

In the afternoon contest versus Rutgers (1-8), things started off better, as Lady Govs senior starter Abby Mabry held the Scarlet Knights off the scoreboard for the first three innings, while the APSU offense scored a run in the bottom of the second to take its first lead in the tournament.

Junior Tiffany Smith would lead off the inning with a double off the center-field fence and score on a single by Cozart.

Rutgers would tie the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth, but it was the fifth inning that did the Lady Govs in, as the Scarlet Knights got a one-out walk, followed by a bunt single and a infield single to load the bases. That led to a grand slam by Rutgers leadoff hitter Mikelyn Messina to take a 5-1 lead, before tacking one a final run for the 6-1 final.

The Frost Classic concludes today, with the Lady Govs facing Kansas at 9 a.m.

--AP--