CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's softball team split its final two games at the Governors Classic, Saturday at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, as they defeated Northern Illinois, 8-3, before dropping a 6-4 final to Northern Iowa.
Due to rain moving into the Clarksville area overnight into Sunday, the final day of the Governors Classic has been cancelled.
Austin Peay 8, Northern Illinois 3
The Govs (12-6) got off to a little bit of a slow start versus the Huskies (6-6) giving up single runs to the visitors in the first and third innings to go down 2-0, but saw its offense come to life in the bottom of the third, scoring three times.
Megan Hodum would get the rally started with a walk to lead off the bottom of the third and move to third base two outs later on a single by Mea Clark.
That brought up Kylie Campbell, who blasted a 2-1 pitch out over the wall in right-center field for a three-run homer, her third of the season, to put the Govs up, 3-2.
Northern Illinois would tie the game, 3-3, with a home run of its own in the top of the fifth, but the Govs would answer right back in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead, 4-3.
Clark would draw a one-out walk, with pinch runner Raylon Roach replacing her at first base.
Campbell and Kendyl Weinzapfel would follow with back-to-back single to load the bases, bringing up Emily Harkleroad, who drove in the go-head run with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to put the Govs up, 4-3.
It would be in the bottom of the sixth where the Govs would finally break the game open, scoring four runs on four hits to extent the lead out to five, 8-3.
Hodum opened the inning with a single and scored in front of Lexi Osowski's second home run of the weekend and third overall this season.
Brooke Pfefferle and Clark would then draw back-to-back walks followed by a single by Campbell, who finished the game 4-for-4 at the plate.
Weinzapfel would then drive in a run Pfefferle with a ground out, while pinch hitter Morgan McMahon plated the final run with a sacrifice fly.
Samantha Miener (4-4) got the win in relief for Austin Peay, throwing three shutout innings after coming in for Govs starter Jordan Benefiel.
Northern Iowa 6, Austin Peay 4
Austin Peay would jump on the Panthers (5-8) for two runs in the top of the first inning, with Hodum driving in Bailey Shorter – who had opened the inning with a single – with an opposite-field triple and then score two batters later on a single by Pfefferle.
But the lead would be short lived, with the Panthers tying the game with two runs in the top of the second inning, followed by three more runs in the third to go up 5-2.
The Govs wouldn't go down without a fight, scoring twice in the fifth to make it a one-run game.
Pfefferle would start the rally with a one-out single, followed an out later by back-to-back-to-back single from Campbell, Weinzapfel and Harkleroad, with Weinzapfel and Harkleroad picking up RBIs.
But that would be as close as the Govs would get the rest of the way, with the Panthers adding an insurance run in the sixth for the 6-4 final, while the Govs got two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't come up with a final big hit.
Inside the boxscore
- The four-hit game by Kylie Campbell versus Norther Illinois is the first by a Govs player this season and the first four-hit game by any APSU player since Emily Harkleroad's four-hit effort versus Murray State on April 6, 2021.
- Kendyl Weinzapfel's three hits versus Northern Illinois tied a career single game high.
- Morgan Zuege's three hit game versus Northern Iowa is a career single-game high.
- Austin Peay has recorded double figure hit totals in three straight games.
- The 3-1 record this weekend for the Govs is the best overall mark in any home tournament in program history.
- Lexi Osowski's home run versus Northern Illinois was the 16th of her career tying her for 10th most in program history.
- Bailey Shorter's double versus Northern Illinois was the 30th of her career and moves her into a tie for eighth most in program history.
- Brooke Pfefferle's sixth inning walk versus Northern Illinois was the 55th of her career, moving her into eighth place all time in program history.
Up Next
Austin Peay will make the trek down Interstate 40 for a, 3 p.m. (central time), Tuesday afternoon contest with No. 17 nationally ranked Tennessee at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. For news and updates on everything Governors softball, follow along on Twitter (@GovsSB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
