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Austin Peay State University Athletics

Kayleigh Roper
Alex Allard, APSU Athletics
2
Florida A&M FAMU 0-1
3
Winner Austin Peay APSU 1-0
Florida A&M FAMU
0-1
2
Final
3
Austin Peay APSU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Florida A&M FAMU 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0
Austin Peay APSU 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 5 0

W: Nichols, Emberly (1-0) L: Zoryana Hughes (0-1)

5
Winner Saint Joseph's SJU 1-0
2
Austin Peay APSU 1-1
Winner
Saint Joseph's SJU
1-0
5
Final
2
Austin Peay APSU
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Saint Joseph's SJU 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 5 8 1
Austin Peay APSU 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 5 1

W: Jules Scogna (1-0) L: Miener, Samantha (0-1) S: Marla Freiwald (1)

Game Recap: Softball | | Alex Allard, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications

Roper Walks Off Rattlers, Govs Split Opening Day in Macon

MACON, Ga. – In her first game as a Governor, senior infielder Kayleigh Roper led Austin Peay State University's softball team to a 3-2 victory against Florida A&M following a two-out, walk off home run, but the Govs dropped a 5-2 game to Saint Joseph's in the second game of the Opening Day doubleheader, Friday, at Sikes Field. 

Game 1 – vs. Florida A&M

Austin Peay 3, Florida A&M 2

Austin Peay (1-0) opened its 2025 season with a 3-2, walk-off victory against Florida A&M (0-1) after Kayleigh Roper hit a two-out homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Raylon Roach recorded the Governors' first hit of the season with a single, before Sammie Shelander was hit by pitch – on the first ball of her APSU career – and a Brie Howard walk, but the trio remained on base with the first inning remaining scoreless.

After the first three Rattlers reached base safely in the top of the second, FAMU scored the day's first runs on a two-RBI double before the Rattlers left the bases loaded following a lineout, walk, and ground out.

In the bottom of the second, Katie Roper hit the Govs' first extra-base hit with a two-out double. The Hixon, Tennessee native then recorded her first run for the Red and White after being driven in by a Kylie Campbell double to cut into the deficit. 

Emberly Nichols entered to pitch for the Govs early in the top of the third. The Clarksville native pitched five scoreless innings with a career-high four strikeouts in her career's second win. 

Nichols allowed just one runner to reach scoring position – coming in the sixth inning – but she and the Govs' defense held the Rattlers off the board, setting up for the seventh-inning theatrics.

Maggie Daughrity entered to pinch run after a Katie Raper seventh-inning-opening single. After a fielder's choice put Sam Leski on base, Ashlynn Dulaney flew out to bring up the final out of the evening. 

After facing two pitches, Roper homered to deep, left-center field, bringing herself and Kam Moore – pinch-running for Leski – across the plate for the walk-off victory.

Game 2 – vs. Saint Joseph's

Austin Peay 2, Saint Joseph's 5

Austin Peay (1-1) dropped its second game of the afternoon in a 5-2 loss to Saint Joseph's (1-0).

Roberts got on base first for the Governors with a single in the bottom of the first, but was the only base knock by either team through the first two innings. Saint Jospeh's (1-0) got on the board first early in the third inning, with three of its first four batters crossing the plate on a one-out double followed by back-to-back singles.

Shelander got the bottom of the fourth started with a single to left field, and her pinch runner, Moore, advanced to second and third on a passed ball and wild pitch, respectively, with Raper also benefitting on the wild pitch with a walk. Two batters later, Roach drove in Moore and Kiley Hinton – pinch-running for Raper – on a two-RBI triple.

The Hawks added an insurance run in both the sixth and seventh inning, leading to the 5-2 final.

Between the Lines

  • Austin Peay won in walk-off fashion for the first time since a Raylon Roach single against Queens last season (4/21/24).
  • Kayleigh Roper's walk-off home run is the first by a Governor since Lexi Osowski-Anderson's against Northern Iowa (3/4/22).
  • Kylie Campbell, Kayleigh Roper, and Raylon Roach all led the Govs with two hits on the day.
  • Kayleigh Roper and Raylon Roach paced the Govs with two RBI on the day.
  • Kayleigh Roper led the Govs with two hits against FAMU, her first multi-hit game since tallying two hits against North Florida during her sophomore season at Florida Gulf Coast (4/30/22). 
  • Maggie Daughrity made her collegiate debut in the season opener against Florida A&M and earned her first-career start against Saint Joseph's.
  • Maggie Daughrity tallied her first-career hit in the bottom of the third inning.
  • In addition to Daughrity, Katie Raper, Sammie Shelander, Sam Leski, and Kam Moore all made their Austin Peay debuts on Opening Day.
  • Emberly Ichols played 5.0 innings in the win over FAMU, earning her second-career victory and fanning a career-high four batters. 
  • Austin Peay improved to 2-0 all-time against Florida A&M and fell to 2-5 against Saint Joseph's.
  • With the win in the first game of the doubleheader, Austin Peay improved to 21-19 all-time in season openers. Following the decision to SJU, the Govs dropped to 39-44-1 all-time on Opening Day. 

Up Next

Austin Peay faces host Mercer at 3 p.m. (CT), Saturday before finishing the day's events with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Saint Joseph's.

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For news and updates throughout the 2024 softball season, follow the Governors on X and Instagram (@GovsSB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com for stories and schedule updates.

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