RICHMOND, Ky. - Austin Peay's softball team fell behind early Sunday and never recovered, as the Lady Govs wrapped up its 2010 regular-season schedule with an 8-0 Ohio Valley Conference loss to Eastern Kentucky.
Austin Peay (16-35, 8-14 OVC), who was eliminated from a possible post-season berth to the conference tournament on Saturday, saw the Colonels send 10 players to the plate in the bottom of the first inning scoring five runs on five hits.
Nikki Bruce had the big hit in that first inning for Eastern Kentucky; with a double off the right field fence scoring two.
That would be all the runs that Eastern Kentucky (15-34, 9-14 OVC) starting pitcher Noe Esperas would need, as the junior right-hander held the Lady Govs hitless, allowing Austin Peay only three base runners in the game.
Eastern Kentucky would add its final three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning - aided by two Austin Peay errors - with DeAnn Horswill's two-run single being the big hit in the inning for the Colonels.
Despite only recording three base runners in the game, Austin Peay did have chances to put some runs up on the scoreboard.
Junior Tiffany Smith broke up Esperas' perfect game in the top of the fourth inning by drawing a leadoff walk and moved to second and into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Tia Johnson.
But senior Brittany Williams and sophomore Catie Cozart followed with fly outs to the outfield to strand Smith at second.
In the fifth inning the Lady Govs got the first two runners on board, with freshman Morgan Brewer starting the inning off with a walk, with Brewer being pinch ran for by fellow freshman Jordan Cole.
Red-shirt freshman Shelby Norton then followed with a groundball to third, but EKU's Christina Datko's throw to second to cut down Cole was late and Austin Peay had two runners on with no outs.
But the rally ended there as Eastern Kentucky got the next three Lady Govs out, with freshman pinch hitter Shine Huwe flying out to deep center, senior Detra Farley popping up to third and junior Randal Davenport flying out to deep left.
With the loss, the Lady Govs finish the season in eighth place in the conference standing - two places higher than predicted 10th place finish in the preseason poll - and with one more total win in conference play (eight) than they had in the last two years combined (seven).
Sunday also marked the final games for the four Lady Govs seniors on the team; Williams, Farley, Abby Mabry and Meagan Williams.
--AP--
