CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's softball team swept its Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader versus Eastern Kentucky, Saturday at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, as it opened the three-game conference series and Senior Weekend with 9-4 and 5-1 victories.
The two teams will conclude its series tomorrow with a single game, scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Game 1
Austin Peay 9, Eastern Kentucky 4
The Govs (27-14, 23-11 OVC) jumped out to an early lead, scoring three first-inning runs, aided by two Eastern Kentucky (32-15, 22-9 OVC) errors.
Kendyl Weinzapfel and Lexi Osowski opened thing up with back-to-back singles and following a fielder's choice saw Emily Harkleroad draw a walk to load the bases, with two outs.
That brought up Drew Dudley, who hit a sharp ground ball to the EKU third baseman, who threw wild to first base allowing Weinzapfel and Kelsey Gross to score.
Brooke Pfefferle would then follow by hitting a ground ball to second base, but the fielder misplayed the ball allowing Dudley to beat the throw to second, with Harkleroad scoring from third base to make it 3-0.
Austin Peay continued its early scoring run in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs, with Kelsey Gray reaching on a single, Bailey Shorter walking and Weinzapfel collecting her second hit of the game to load the bases.
That brought up Osowski, who singled to right field, scoring Gray and Shorter, but the EKU right fielder also left the ball get by her allowing Weinzapfel to score and Osowski to go all the way around to third.
Gross would follow with a ground ball to third, with the third baseman making a wild throw to first allowing Osowski to score, making it 7-0.
That would be more than enough runs for the Govs pitching staff, as Shelby Harpe (2-0) went the first five innings, before giving up four runs in the fifth inning, before giving way to Gross, who closed out the game with two scoreless innings to pick up her fourth save of the season.
Austin Peay would add two final insurance runs in the sixth, on a two-run homer by Gross for the 9-4 final margin.
Game 2
Austin Peay 5, Eastern Kentucky 1
After a scoreless first inning, the Govs would take the lead in the bottom of the second inning, with walks to Brooke Pfefferle and Gray set the table for Shorter, who singled in Pfefferle for a 1-0 APSU lead.
The Govs would make it 2-0 in the fourth, with Dudley opening the inning with a single, pinch runner Emily Moore steal second, and score two batters later off a single by Brett Jackson.
Eastern Kentucky would cut the Govs lead in half, with their lone run of the game, in the top of the fifth, but an inning-end double play turned by the Govs kept the Colonels from doing any more damage.
The Govs would put pull away from EKU in the bottom of the fifth, with Gross and Harkleroad reaching via a walk and a single in front of Dudley, who crushed the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for a three-run shot to give the Govs a 5-1 lead.
Harley Mullins (8-6) would pick up the complete-game victory for APSU, allowing the one run on four hits, while walking five and striking out a season-high six batters.
Inside the Boxscore
- The Govs doubleheader sweep of the Colonels was the first since 1993.
- With her two RBIs in Game 1, Kelsey Gross becomes just the third player in program history to drive in at least 40 runs in a single season for the Govs.
- Lexi Osowski extended her current hit streak to nine straight games.
- Govs tied a season single-game high with 10 assists in Game 2 versus EKU.
- With her save in Game 1, Kelsey Gross become the only pitcher in program history to record at least four saves in two different seasons.
- The 15 home wins this season are the most at the Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field and the most by a Govs team since 1993.
- Austin Peay improves to 25-2 this season when they score at least four runs in a contest.
- In throwing out an EKU base stealer in Game 2, Govs catcher Brett Jackson has thrown out eight of the last 12 runners trying to steal a base against her.
