APSU Women’s Softball
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay and Tennessee State split a pair of shutouts in their Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Lady Govs Field Thursday night, with Austin Peay winning the nightcap 8-0 – in five innings – after Tennessee State took the opener, 1-0.
Austin Peay (7-23, 2-8 OVC) broke things open early in Game 2, scoring five runs on four hits in the second inning, while also taking advantage of three Tennessee State errors.
Tennessee State (8-28, 2-11 OVC) shortstop Tedra Alford had the first of three TSU errors in the inning on a ground ball of the bat of red-shirt sophomore Jessica Ryan, who then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Tiger third baseman Ashley Haynes made the second error of the inning for TSU, throwing wide of first base on a sacrifice bunt by senior Randal Davenport, with Davenport getting to second and Ryan scoring to make it 3-0.
Freshman Lauren de Castro then singled and got to second on the third error of the inning by TSU, this time on the Tigers left fielder Jasmine Brimm, with Davenport scoring for a 4-0 advantage.
Junior Catie Cozart followed with a single, with de Castro advancing to third, and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep left by junior Amy Mills, for the fifth and final run of the inning.
That would be all that Brewer would need, as the Lady Govs starter won her third straight decision by limiting the Tigers to four hits, striking out seven and walking three.
Austin Peay would add two more runs in the bottom of the third, to go up 7-0, on Ryan’s third home run of the season, also driving in Norton – who had opened the inning by drawing a walk.
The Lady Govs final run came in the bottom of the fifth, when Brewer flared a no-out, bases-loaded single into short left field, scoring pinch runner Jessi Holland for the 8-0 final margin.
Brewer would lead the Lady Govs with two hits and three RBI, while Ryan and two RBI and two runs scored.
In the opener the Lady Govs and Tigers tied into an old-fashioned pitcher duel, with Tennessee State scored the game’s only run in the top in the top of the second inning on Jalisa Bradley’s third home run of the season out to left field.
That spoiled a solid pitching performance from de Castro, who limited the Tigers to four hits in her six and one-third inning of work, while walking three and striking out a career-high six.
