CARROLLTON, Ga. – After dropping a 7-1 decision to Georgia State in the first game of the 2026 season, Austin Peay State University's softball team responded with an 11-4 victory over host West Georgia on the first day of the UWG Opening Weekend, Friday, at University Field.

Game 1 Recap

Austin Peay (0-1) 1, Georgia State (1-0) 7

Austin Peay fell behind early, with Georgia State scoring the first five runs of the game to build a 5-0 lead at the end of the fourth inning. The Governors did not reach scoring position until the bottom of the fourth inning when Makayla Navarro was hit by a pitch, stole second base, and advanced on a ground ball; however, the Wichita State transfer was stranded 60 feet from home plate after an APSU strikeout.

The Governors cut into the GSU lead in the bottom of the fifth when Maddy Connolly Hojas hit a ball over the center field wall – her first-career home run in her second-career start in the batting order as a Gov. Despite Connolly Hojas' solo shot, Georgia State extended their lead following a two-run seventh inning to claim the 7-1 victory.

Pitcher of Decision: Alanah Jones (0-1), 5.0 IP, 9H, 5R, 2ER, 2BB, 6K, 112NP

Game 2 Recap

Austin Peay (1-1) 11, West Georgia (1-1) 4

After its season-opening loss to the Panthers, Austin Peay quickly responded with an 11-4 win over Atlantic Sun Conference foe West Georgia – the game did not count as an ASUN win.

Led by a single-short-of-the-cycle performance by Brie Howard – who, by the way, is no stranger to cycles – and multi-hit performances by Emilee Baker, Makayla Navarro, Sammie Shelander, and Kiley Hinton, the Govs outhit the Wolves 11-4 with five of their knocks going for extra bases.

Howard's first hit of the nightcap came on a two-run homer in the top of the first to scor both herself and Baker, who led off the game with a single. After reaching on a walk, Katie Raper was brought across the plate by a Hinton single.

One inning, three runs. Strong start.

After the Wolves went down in order, Maddy Connolly Hojas earned a leadoff walk, and advanced to second on a Baker single. A Navarro single then loaded the bases with one out, before a double by Howard to deep right field brought in Connolly Hojas, but Baker was tagged out at the plate. Just one batter later, a Shelander double brought in both Howard and Navarro before she herself was brought in following an error on UWG's shortstop.

Off to the top of the sixth, a Howard triple scored Baker, and a Shelander RBI single extended the Govs' advantage to 9-0 heading to the bottom of the frame.

West Georgia hit one-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to avoid the run-rule decision, but Baker and Navarro both drove in a run in the top of the seventh to re-extend the Govs lead.

Pitcher of Decision: Cameron Grayson (1-0), 7.0IP, 4H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 3K, 102NP

Up Next

Austin Peay is back in action at 1:30 p.m. (CT), Saturday to face Drexel, before then turning its attention to a 6:30 p.m. rematch against Georgia State.

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