CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's softball team begins a seven-game homestand when it hosts Bellarmine, Friday and Saturday, at Cathi Maynard Park. The Governors begin the series against the Knights with a 2 p.m., Friday doubleheader before concluding the series with a 12 p.m., Saturday contest.
Austin Peay (21-15, 3-6 ASUN) is coming off a 1-2 series at Central Arkansas last weekend. The Govs earned an 11-3 win against the Bears in the series finale. The Governors and Bellarmine (10-24, 3-6 ASUN) enter the weekend series tied for fourth in the ASUN's Gold Division standings and a game above Lipscomb, who APSU faces next weekend.
Led by the long ball, APSU paces the ASUN and ranks 17th nationally with 55 home runs this season. Junior outfield Brie Howard's 17 home runs this season also lead the conference and rank fifth nationally. Howard – who broke the single-season RBI record last weekend in Conway, Arkansas – is just one homer away from matching Danielle Liermann's program-record mark set during the 2019 season.
Howard is followed in home runs by Katie Raper and Sammie Shelander who have 12 and eight, respectively. Raper's 12 homers and 0.38 per game both rank fourth in the ASUN and are top 50 nationally. APSU's leadoff batter, Emilee Baker paces the team and ranks second in the ASUN with 48 thus far this year.
In addition to ranking fifth nationally in home runs, Howard's 53 RBI are eighth in the NCAA, while her 98 total bases rank second in the conference and 23rd across Division I.
In the circle, Alanah Jones is 21st nationally and second in the league with 110.0 inning pitched this season, while her 24 appearances and 18 starts are first and third in the conference, respectively.
Austin Peay is 10-2 all-time against the Knights, and went 5-1 against the Knights last season, including a pair of 8-0, five-inning victories across two of its last three meetings.
Bellarmine is led by freshman infielder Tia Ice's 31 hits and seven doubles this season, while junior catcher Nicole Waters leads the team with 16 RBI thus far.
Following the weekend's series, the Governors host Middle Tennessee for a 4 p.m., Tuesday game at Cathi Maynard Park.
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