Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - On Sunday for the third time in this weekend's Ohio Valley Conference softball matchup, Austin Peay's softball team battled Tennessee Tech down to the final pitch at Cheryl Holt Field, but like the first two contests the Lady Govs came up short; this time in 11 innings, 5-3.
The game when into the international tiebreaker (the last batter of the previous inning is placed on second base to start the inning) in the top of the 10th inning, after the two teams failed to break the 2-2 deadlock in the eighth or ninth inning.
With Samantha Everett placed on second base, Angi Sakamoto singled up the middle for Tennessee Tech (9-11, 3-0 OVC) to move Everett to third.
Austin Peay's junior right-hander Morgan Brewer - who came into the game in relief in the eighth inning - got Emily Burch for the first out on a popup to second, but Cassie Garrett followed with a single just over the leaping Laurel Burroughs at short stop to bring in Everett with the go ahead run.
But after a strikeout, the Golden Eagles Brooke Basten got the big hit of the contest - a double - which drove in Garrett and Sakamoto in to make it 5-2 Tennessee Tech.
Austin Peay (6-11, 0-3 OVC) would cut the deficit to 5-3 on a double to right field by senior Catie Cozart - scoring freshman Paige Neely, who was placed on second to start the inning.
That brought up redshirt junior Jessica Ryan - who had a home run on Saturday - up as the potential tying run, but Tennessee Tech starter Holly Thomas got Ryan to ground out to second to end the game.
The 11 innings was the most innings played in one game by Austin Peay since it beat Morehead State 5-4 in 11 innings on April 3, 2005.
Thomas went the full 11 inning for the Golden Eagles, giving up seven hits and one walk, while striking out eight.
The Lady Govs had battled back twice to tie the game, the last time in the bottom of the seventh inning after coming into the inning trailing 2-1.
Redshirt junior Shelby Norton got things going with a one-out infield single, followed by a walk to senior Amy Mills.
That would bring up Brewer, who smacked a single down the left field line scoring Norton to make it 2-2.
Tennessee Tech had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Sakamoto was hit by a 0-2 pitch by sophomore starting pitcher Lauren deCastro.
The Lady Govs had tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning on deCastro's second home run of the weekend and third overall this season.
A dubious call by the three-man umpiring crew gave Tennessee Tech the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Garrett - who opened the game with a double to left - got caught in a rundown between third and home on a ground ball to short by Basten.
Mills had taken the throw at the plate from Burroughs and was forcing Garrett back to third. After throwing the ball to sophomore third baseman Kayla Davidson, Mills was getting out of the baseline when Garrett went out of her way to veer into Mills - who was three or four feet out of the baseline.
Despite the runner causing the contact, Mills was called for interference allowing Garrett to score without a play being made on her.
--AP--
