Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Two first-inning home runs, including a grand slam by Kayla Davidson, powered Austin Peay's softball team to a 5-3 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Jacksonville State, Sunday, at Cheryl Holt Field.
The win gave the Lady Govs (19-28, 10-17 OVC) its first-ever three-game sweep of the Gamecocks, while also being the first three-game OVC series sweep for Austin Peay since April 8-9, 2006 versus Morehead State.
It didn't take long for the Lady Govs to get on the scoreboard with sophomore Lauren deCastro leading off the bottom of the first inning with her team-leading ninth home run of the season off a 3-2 pitch.
Freshman Paige Neely -- who finished the day with three hits -- then doubled and moved to third on a single to right field by senior Amy Mills.
Jacksonville State (23-25, 17-10 OVC) starter Tiffany Harbin, who only lasted a third of an inning, then hit junior Morgan Brewer to load the bases.
The Gamecocks were able to get senior Catie Cozart to ground into a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, with Neely being forced out at the plate.
That brought up Davidson -- a sophomore -- who fouled off a 3-1 and 3-2 pitch, before hammering the seventh pitch of the at bat over the left field fence for a home run and a 5-0 lead.
Harbin would only last one more batter after the home run as she walked red-shirt junior Jessica Ryan and was lifted for relief pitcher Sam Snow.
Senior Ashley Bolda greeted her with an infield single, but the Gamecocks got out of the inning when the Lady Govs were called for interference at first base leading to the final two outs being called on the play.
Those runs were all that Brewer would need, as the Lady Govs starter held the Gamecocks off the scoreboard until the fifth inning.
Jacksonville State scored its first run on an RBI single by Krystal Ruth, with a sixth-inning run coming in off a double by Sara Boarders, scoring an unearned run to make it 5-2.
Boarders, Ruth and Kristin Graham had two hits each to lead the Gamecocks.
The final inning got a little dicey for Brewer and the Lady Govs, as Shelby Holley hit her season's 17th home run to lead off the seventh, cutt the deficit to 5-3. That was followed by a walk to Ruth and a single by Graham sandwiched around two outs to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate for JSU.
But Brewer got Kelci Johnson to fly out to Cozart, who made a spectacular diving catch in short left center field to seal the win.
Brewer got the complete-game victory - her third of the week -- giving up eight hits and four walks, while striking out five.
--AP--
