Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball pitching staff held Wabash Valley College to nine hits and one run over 15 innings, Friday afternoon, in their doubleheader at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, as the Governors came away with 1-0 and 9-1 victories.
The wins improved the Govs to 4-0 overall this fall, with their next action coming in their fall-ending Red and Black World Series on October 21st-23rd.
Game 1
Austin Peay 1, Wabash Valley 0 (8 innings)
The opening game proved to be a pitches duel, as Governors starter Kelsey Gross and reliever Harley Mullins matches zeros with Wabash Valley’s Kaitlynn Bennett over the game’s first seven innings.
But after holding the Warriors scoreless again in the top of the eighth inning, the Governors had three straight batters reach base, including a single up the middle by freshman Kendyl Weinzapfel that scored Brooke Pfefferle from third base with the game winner in the 1-0, walk-off, final.
Mullins got the win out of the bullpen, throwing three innings of two-hit shutout relief, after Gross had worked the first five innings – allowing no runs on two hits over that span.
Along with Weinzapfel’s game-winner, Bailey Shorter (double), Emily Moore and Gross (double) also recorded hits in the Game 1 win.
Game 2
Austin Peay 9, Wabash Valley 1
The Governors broke open a 4-1 game with five sixth inning runs, including Kelsey Gray picking up two of those runs with a single, while Emily Harkleroad (double) and Gross (single) collected one RBI each in the frame on their way to the 9-1 victory.
But APSU retook the lead for good in the bottom of the inning, scoring twice, with the first coming on an RBI single by Brett Jackson into center field and the second coming on a steal of home by Gray on the backend of a double steal with Weinzapfel.
Gray, Gross and Drew Dudley led the Govs in the nightcap with two hits each.
Those two runs in the second inning would be all the support that Govs relief pitcher Shelby Harpe would need, after coming in to pitch in the top of the third inning for Mullins, as she held Wabash Valley scoreless over her five innings of work, allowing only three hits in picking up the victory.
Inside the APSU Boxscore
With her sixth-inning double in Game 1, junior Bailey Shorter has recorded three doubles in four games this fall.
Senior Kelsey Gross and junior Bailey Shorter are the only two Governors to record hits in all four games during fall play.
Kelsey Gross leads the team with six RBIs on seven hits this fall.
The Governors have only trailed their opponents for three innings total over their four games.
Governors pitchers did not allow an extra-base hit versus Wabash Valley and have only given up two extra-base hits total (one double, one triple) in 29 innings pitched this fall.
