Austin Peay vs. Bradley
Tuesday, March 12th, 2018 | 3:00pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Cheryl Holt Field
Clarksville, TN – The streaking Austin Peay State University softball team will play its 2018 home opener, 3:00pm, Tuesday at Cheryl Holt Field, as it takes on Bradley University for a single game.
The contest will also be the first home game under new head coach Rodney DeLong.
The Govs (10-7) come into the matchup versus the Braves having won seven of its last eight games – including all four this past weekend at the East Tennessee Buccaneer Classic – marking its best start to a season since the 2007 campaign.
The game versus Bradley (10-11) will be the fifth contest between the two programs — dating back to their first meeting back on April 30th, 1988 — with the series being tied 2-2 and the last meeting coming back on March 2nd, 2002 in Clarksville.
Offensively, the Govs have been led at the plate by junior third baseman Danielle Liermann, who enters the game hitting a white-hot .490 on the season – including seven doubles and nine home runs, while driving in 29 and scoring 13 times.
Following Liermann is fellow junior Kacy Acree, who is hitting at a .375 clip with five doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI.
Also hitting over .300 this season after 17 games is freshman Bailey Shorter (.317), while junior Natalie Schilling is hovering just under the .300 mark at .296 – with a team high 20 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.
In the circle, the Govs have three pitcher that have picked up wins so far this season, led by junior left-hander Morgan Rackel‘s 5-2 record, with a 1.75 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.
Junior Kelly Mardones is 3-2 this season, with a 1.91 ERA and 16 strikeouts, while Kelsey Gross is 2-3 on the year after throwing her first shutout of her career this past Sunday versus Saint Peter’s.
Bradley is led offensively by Maria Schroeder, who is batting .388 this season, one of five Braves hitting over .300 this season.
Emma Johnson leds the Bradley pitching staff with a 4-2 record and a 3.75 ERA in 52.1 inning of work.
