EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Austin Peay State University's softball team had its chances, Monday afternoon at Cougar Field, but left 18 runners on base in a pair of Ohio Valley Conference losses to Southern Illinois Edwardsville, 6-0 and 8-5.
The Game 1 shutout loss was especially frustrating for the Govs (5-15, 1-2 OVC), with 11 runners being stranded – six in scoring position – as Austin Peay went down in order only one time in the contest, that coming in the second inning.
SIUE (8-12, 2-1 OVC) took the lead for good with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning, but did most of its damage in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on only two hits, being aided by two hit batters and a walk in the frame.
Overall, Austin Peay outhit the Cougars in the opener, 6-4, led by Danielle Liermann's three hits, including a double.
The nightcap would see Austin Peay get on the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the first, with Niya Sparks driving in Kacy Acree with a sacrifice fly to deep right field for a 1-0 advantage. Overall, Acree reached base on five of her eight plate appearances in the doubleheader.
But SIUE answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning and add four more in the second to pull out to a 6-1 lead after two innings. The score remained that way until the top of the fifth inning when Austin Peay put together its best inning of the day, scoring three times, to cut the Cougars lead to just two runs, 6-4.
Acree got the inning going with a two-out single, moving to second on a wild pitch, and scoring on a single by Liermann. Sparks then followed with her season's first home to make it 6-4 and give her three RBIs in the contest.
However, a two-out error in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed SIUE to add two insurance runs to make it 8-4.
The Govs rallied one final time in the top of the seventh inning, scoring a run on an RBI double by Kendall Vedder, to make it 8-5, but that would be as close as they would get.
Vedder and Liermann led the Govs with two hits each, with Austin Peay and SIUE both recording eight hits each in the game.
Austin Peay is off until next Friday and Saturday, when they travel to play Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky more OVC action.
--AP--