Clarksville, TN – Brie Howard hit a walk-off home run to lead the Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball team to a nine-inning, 6-4 Atlantic Sun Conference victory against North Alabama, but the Governors dropped a 4-0 decision to the Lions in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Cathi Maynard Park.
Game 1
Austin Peay 6, North Alabama 4 (9 Inn.)
An extended back-and-forth battle was capped off by Howard sending a ball to deep right field to for the nine-inning, walk-off victory.
Austin Peay (31-8, 9-4 ASUN) stranded the Lions’ (25-14, 5-8 ASUN) lone baserunner of the first frame. Raylon Roach and Macee Roberts then both reached in the bottom of the first courtesy of a walk and being hit by a pitch, respectively, and Sam Leski drove the duo in on a double that bounced off the wall for the game’s first scoring.
The Governors’ 2-0 advantage held until UNA scored a run in the top of the third via an RBI single, but it was quickly answered by a two-RBI Sammie Shelander double, extending the APSU advantage to 4-1 through a trio of innings.
The Lions second hit of the fourth drove in a run, before they made it a one-run game two batters later off an RBI single. However, Leski picked off a Lions’ runner at first for the final out of the inning, in turn, tying the program’s all-time pickoff record with her sixth in just 39 games as a Governor. After the Govs went down in order in the bottom of the fourth, UNA tied the game at four following a leadoff homer.
That 4-4 score stood for the next four innings. The Govs combined for three baserunners from the fifth to eighth innings, while relief pitcher Ashley Martin fanned four during her 4.2 innings of work in the circle.
After neither team found the scoring column in the first inning-and-a-half of extras, Skylar Sheridan reached on an error by the Lions’ third baseman. Then, Howard put a ball atop the indoor hitting facility for the walk-off winner.
Gov of Decision: Ashley Martin (W, 10-2), 4.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 4K, 17BF, 63 pitches
Game 2
Austin Peay 0, North Alabama 4
Austin Peay (31-9, 9-5 ASUN) dropped the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader after being held to 1-for-14 with runners on base, resulting in the 4-0 loss to the Lions (26-14, 6-8 ASUN).
After the Lions’ leadoff hitter was walked to begin the nightcap of the doubleheader, she was brought across the plate after a single two batters later. In the bottom of the frame, Macee Roberts doubled before advancing on a wild pitch, but was left in scoring position following a ground out to end the inning.
The Lions extended their lead on a sacrifice fly in the third before taking its 4-0 lead following a sixth-inning RBI triple followed by a single in the sixth.
Austin Peay State University was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, resulting in the defeat and forcing Sunday’s rubber match.
Gov of Decision: Emberly Nichols (L, 7-4), 5.1 IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 27 BF, 80 pitches.
Box Score Bullets
With her second hit of the day, Austin Peay State University’s Kylie Campbell became the first player in program history with at least 50 hits in four different seasons.
With her pickoff in Game 1, Sam Leski tied the all-time record with her sixth of the season.
APSU’s Ashley Martin secured her 10th win of the season in Game 1, improving to 10-2.
Raylon Roach tallied her third-straight and seventh-career multi-hit game in Game 1 with a pair of base knocks.
APSU improved to 2-1 in extra-inning games this season.
Austin Peay State University’s nine-inning game was its first since dropping a 3-2 decision to Central Arkansas last season (3/24/24).
The Governors played in back-to-back extra-inning games in the first contest of the day, marking the first time they’ve played in back-to-back extra-inning games since the 2020 season (3/1/20, IUPUI & 3/6/20, Bradley).
Brie Howard’s walk-off home run was the first by a Governor since Kayleigh Roper walked off Florida A&M in the season opener, Feb. 7.
Howard’s home run was her fourth of the season and 12th in her career, tied for the 17th-most in program history.
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Next Up For APSU Softball
The Austin Peay State University softball team hosts the Lions in the deciding Game 3 on Sunday at 1:00pm at Cathi Maynard Park in Clarksville. Following this series, APSU hits the road to face longtime rival Eastern Kentucky. The Governors and Colonels will open the Easter Weekend series with a Friday doubleheader beginning on Saturday at 12:00pm CT before concluding the weekend on Saturday at 12:00pm.
