APSU Softball Lady Govs drop double header at Morehead State

APSU Sports Information

Morehead, KY – Austin Peay State University’s softball team couldn’t come up with the big hit or the big stop when it needed it, Friday afternoon at University Field, with the APSU Lady Govs dropping a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games to Morehead State, 5-0 and 5-4 in 11 innings.

Morehead State (16-10, 5-0 OVC) got the tying runners on base with no outs, when their leadoff hitter reached on an APSU error and was followed by a base hit.

A sacrifice moved the two runners into scoring position, with Tressa Watson dropping a base hit into left field to tie the game, 4-4.

Austin Peay had chances in the extra innings to retake the lead, including Carly Mattson reaching third base, with no outs, in the 10th inning and Vinchenza DiBenedetto reaching third in the 11th with one out, but the Govs couldn’t get the big hit to drive the run in.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, but the Govs responded with three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the day.

DiBenedetto opened the inning with a single and moved to second an out later on a single by Chandler Groves.

Danielle Liermann would follow with her third home run of the season out over the center field fence for a 3-1 advantage.

The Eagles cut the APSU advantage to 3-2 with a run in the fourth inning, but Austin Peay added an insurance run in the top of the seventh – on a single by Liermann that scored Kacy Acree, who reached on a triple.

Acree extended her hit streak to 10 straight games, with two hits in the nightcap, tying for the fourth longest such streak by an APSU player since 2000.

Liermann, DiBenedetto and Mattson also had two hits each in Game 2.

In Game 1, Austin Peay as limited to just one hit – a fifth inning single by Acree – but despite only one hit had chances to score.

Groves and Acree opened the game with back-to-back walks, but a double play and a strikeout ended that threat.

In the third inning, Erica Inagaki and Rikki Arkansas opened the inning by being hit by pitches and an out latter would move up to load the bases with a walk to Acree, but a fielder’s choice and a strikeout ended that scoring chance.

Acree reached base in all three of her plate appearances, with two walks and a single.

Morehead State would take the lead for good, with two runs in the second inning, with its final three runs coming in the fourth inning.

Austin Peay will conclude its Easter weekend, 1:00pm (CT), Saturday, with a doubleheader versus Eastern Kentucky.