EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Redshirt-junior Emily Harkleroad had two of Austin Peay State University's four hits in their Ohio Valley Conference matchup versus SIUE, Saturday at Cougar Field, but it wasn't enough, as the Governors dropped a 2-1 decision.
After the two teams only managed a hit between them over the first two-and-a-half innings of play, the Govs (23-10, 18-8 OVC) would see SIUE (10-21, 10-14 OVC) get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning, as a APSU error and two Cougar hits pushed across an unearned run.
Austin Peay would tie the game in the fourth, with Lexi Osowski reaching on an error by the SIUE shortstop, move to second when Kelsey Gross walked and then to third on an infield single by Harkleroad.
That brought up Drew Dudley, who scored Osowski on a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game, 1-1.
The score would remain that way until the fifth inning, when the Cougars picked up two hits to go with a stolen base to score the go-ahead run.
The Govs did have chances to tie the game, with Osowski getting on in the sixth on with a one-out double but was doubled off on a great sliding catch by the SIUE right fielder, then in the seventh when Harkleroad led off the inning with a double and got all the way around to third, but the Govs couldn't come up with the big hit to tie the game.
Jordan Benefiel (7-3) picked up the tough-luck loss, giving up just five hits and two runs, one earned, while walking one and striking out four.
The two team will conclude their three-game OVC series tomorrow with a noon doubleheader.
Inside the Boxscore
- This was the second straight game where the Govs offense only recorded four hits.
- Emily Harkleroad has gone 12-for-23 (.522) at the plate the last eight games.
- Austin Peay drops to 0-8 this season in games where they score less than four runs.
- Kelsey Gross picked up team-leading 13th walk of the season.
- Brett Jackson threw out her ninth base runner trying to steal a base this season, the second-most by an OVC catcher this season.
