Nashville, Tenn. – Christiana Gable blasted a three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning, in the first game of an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader Saturday at Tiger Field, to cap off a six-run come-from-behind victory over Tennessee State 14-13, before dropping the nightcap 8-7.
Austin Peay (3-15, 2-3 OVC) had entered the seventh inning down 13-11, but got a leadoff walk from Chandler Groves to open the inning, followed by an infield single by Laurel Burroughs. That brought up Gable, who blasted a towering shot over the right-center field fence to give the Lady Govs the 14-13 lead. Burroughs and Gable both had two hits in the game.
Tennessee State (9-16, 2-3 OVC) got the leadoff hitter on to open the bottom of the seventh, but Natalie Ayala (2-6) got the next three Tiger hitters out on a fly out to center field and two infield groundouts to seal away the win.
The Lady Govs had gotten into an early hole, giving up five first-inning runs to TSU and another run in the second inning, to trail 6-0.
But Austin Peay cut the deficit in half in the top of the third inning on a two-out, three-run homer by Niya Sparks, scoring Groves (hit by pitch) and Courtney Brower (double) to make it 6-3.
It would be 7-3 TSU as Austin Peay came to the plate in the top of the fourth inning, when the Lady Govs exploded for five runs on four hits to take an 8-7 lead. Highlighting the inning was a two-run double by Groves and a two-run single by Venchenza DiBenedetto, who had two hits in the contest.
But Tennessee State responded with six run of its own in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead 13-8.
Austin Peay chipped away at the Tigers lead, cutting it to 13-9 with an unearned run in the fifth inning, and 13-11 in the sixth inning with RBIs on a Mel Pavel groundout and a Morgan Hoeg single. Hoeg, along with Rikki Arkansas, also recorded two hits in the game.
The Lady Govs weren't as fortunate in the nightcap, as they saw a 6-2 lead disappear over the final three innings in a one-run loss.
Austin Peay got on the board first, taking advantage of a TSU error to go up 2-0. But the Tigers tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning.
APSU responded with four runs in the top of the fourth inning, to retake the lead 6-2. Pavel opened the inning with a single and two outs later stood on third base with Brower being hit by a pitch and Groves drawing a walk. That brought up Burroughs, who blasted a ball just out of the reach of the TSU center field for a bases-clearing double.
Gable followed with a double of her own, scoring Burroughs.
Burroughs led Austin Peay with three hits, while Gable added two as did Pavel and Arkansas.
Tennessee State cut into the Lady Govs lead in the fifth inning, with the Tigers scoring three runs off a home run by Lauren Dreitlein to make it 6-5.
Austin Peay added an unearned run in the top of the sixth to go up two, 7-5, but TSU tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
The seventh inning would see the Lady Govs get a runner on with two outs, but couldn't advance it past first base.
