MURRAY, Ky. - Austin Peay's softball team withstood a late Murray State rally on Sunday afternoon to defeat the Racers, 4-2, in the finale of their Ohio Valley Conference series and giving the Lady Govs back-to-back series wins.
Austin Peay (13-25, 5-8 OVC), which defeated Southeast Missouri in last weekend's conference series, led 4-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a hit batter followed by an APSU error put Murray State runners on second and third with on one out.
Murray State (13-21, 5-7 OVC) would score to make it 4-1 on a groundout, but Jenna Bradley followed with an RBI double to cut the Lady Govs lead to just two runs with one out.
Lady Govs starter Morgan Brewer got the next Racer hitter to pop up to short, but then walked the next batter to put the tying run on the base and bring the potential winning run to the plate.
But Brewer got Stephanie Mattocks to fly out to right field giving the Lady Govs the victory and the series advantage 2 games to one.
"We're very excited to come away with the win today and take the series," Austin Peay coach Casey Dickson said. "We liked the motivation we had in the dugout where we had written 'what are we playing for' and it said the OVC tournament."
Brewer (9-7) went the distance for the Lady Govs -- giving up just three hits -- while getting out of jams several times in the game, but other than the including in the bottom of the fifth when the Racers loaded the bases with just one out but failed to score when Brewer got the final two Murray hitters on a pop up on the infield and a strike out - her only one of the game.
"Getting out of that inning was huge," Dickson said. "Morgan (Brewer) got the job done and I think the girls relies just how big that was. We just have to learn to get the momentum going and not let things get to them."
Austin Peay got out on top of the Racers 2-0 in the third inning on a two-run double by Catie Cozart into right-center field driving in Jessica Chernak and Brittany Williams who had reached on a one-out error, followed by a walk.
"We didn't hit the ball as well as we did (Saturday) but we walked a lot and were very selective on the pitches that we swung at," Dickson said. "Hats off to Catie for getting things done, but we did a lot of little things that may not show up in a box score that helped us win today."
Cozart would record three of the Lady Govs four hits on the day, but Austin Peay also drew seven walks from the Racer pitching staff.
Austin Peay would score its final two runs in the fourth, when Detra Farley opened the inning with a walk, stole second and after a walk to Jordan Cole, both runners moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Randal Davenport.
Farley would score on a passed ball and Cole would score on a single by Williams.
Austin Peay returns home this week to host Tennessee State and Morehead State in four OVC contests at Lady Govs Field, beginning with TSU for one game on Wednesday, 6 p.m., and the Lady Eagles for a three-game series this Saturday and Sunday.
--AP--
