Lafayette, La. – Despite putting a scare into the No. 13-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, Austin Peay State University's softball team dropped a pair of games to open the 33rd Annual Louisiana Classic, Friday at Lamson Park, falling to Stephen F. Austin, 5-1, in the opener before being edged by Louisiana, 2-1, in the nightcap.
The classic will continue Saturday morning with the Govs facing Jackson State, at 10 a.m., to wrap-up pool play, with the Govs second game time and opponent to be decided after the morning result.
A win by APSU versus Jackson State would put the Govs into the No. 2-seed versus No. 3-seed game, at 5:30 p.m., but a loss would place the Govs into the, 3 p.m., 1-seed versus 4-seed game.
Stephen F. Austin 5, Austin Peay 1
The Governors (3-4) would get out to a 1-0 lead after scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning when Carly Mattson – who reached on an inning-opening single – scoring from second base when the Ladyjacks left fielder dropped a fly ball off the bat of Drew Dudley.
Mattson, Dudley and Natalie Schilling would account for all the Govs hits versus SFA.
The score would remain that way until the top of the fifth inning, when the Ladyjacks (7-1) scored all five of their runs, coming on six hits.
Kelly Mardones (1-1) would take the loss for the Govs -- giving up nine hits -- while walking two and striking out two in five innings of work.
No. 13 Louisiana 0, Austin Peay 0
The Govs would see Louisiana (8-0) break a scoreless deadlock with a run in the bottom of the third inning before tying the game, 1-1, in the top of the fifth inning on a Dudley home run over the left field fence.
The Ragin' Cajuns would retake the lead for good in the bottom of the inning, by pushing across a run to go up 2-1.
The Govs had one final opportunity to tie the game in the top of the seventh when Morgan Rackel got into scoring position with a two-out double into the gap in left-center field but was left stranded at second base.
Kacy Acree's fourth-inning triple down the right field line would account for the other Govs hit versus Louisiana.
Rackel (2-2) would also take the hard-luck loss, despite holding Louisiana's Top-10 offense to two runs on six hits, while also walking two and striking out eight.
Inside the Boxscore
· Emily Moore got her first collegiate start at shortstop versus Stephen F. Austin.
· Pitcher Kelly Mardones has started a double play for the Govs defensively in each of their last two games.
· Drew Dudley's home run versus Louisiana was the first of her career.
· Kacy Acree's triple versus Louisiana gives her nine in her career and ties her for seventh all-time in the program's history with Brianna Venable (2003-06).
· The announced attendance of 1760 for the Austin Peay-Louisiana game was the largest crowd the Govs have ever played in front of in program history.
Stanfill Statements
On performance versus nationally-ranked Louisiana
"I thought we stepped up to the challenge in a hostile environment and played one of the best teams in the country down to the final out. I don't think I could have asked for any more than that from our girls in the way they battled and fought out there tonight."
On pitching and defense
"Morgan (Rackel) pitched a great game for us tonight keeping Louisiana off-balance at the plate, while our defense stepped up and made several big plays to keep us in the game. Especially in the first couple of innings, when Bailey (Shorter) and Drew (Dudley) made a perfect relay to Carly (Mattson) at the plate to throw out a runner to end the inning, then Kacy (Acree) making the catch and throw to Danielle (Liermann) at third base for a double play to end the second inning."
