APSU Sports Information
Murray, KY – On Sunday at Racer Field, Austin Peay State University’s softball team cruised through the first three innings versus Northern Illinois but saw the Huskies explode for five fourth-inning runs in handing the Govs a 5-3 loss to close out play at the Murray State Racer Classic.
The Govs (8-11) were leading 1-0 heading into the top of the fourth inning, with APSU starter Autumn Hanners limiting the Huskies to one base runner – coming on a second-inning walk.But after getting the first Northern Illinois (9-8) hitter out on a called third strike to begin the fourth, Hanners (2-6) proceeded to give up five straight singles to the Huskies – plating four runs.
Hanners would induce a ground ball for the second out of the inning, but that was followed by another run-scoring single that chased the Govs starter.
Overall, six of the Huskies eight hits recorded in the contest — and all five of their runs — happened during that stretch in the fourth inning.
The score would remain 5-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Govs cut the deficit in half on a two-run homer to straight away center field by Kendall Vedder – her third of the season – making the score 5-3.
But that would be as close as the Govs would get, despite getting the tying runs on base – with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a strike out and a pop up to the infield ended the final rally and sealed the two-run loss.
The Govs had taken an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second — on an RBI single by Hanners, on her first at bat of the season — and had chances to extend that lead, but left two runners on base to end the inning followed by leaving the bases loaded in the third without pushing any more runs across.
Overall, five of the eight runners the Govs left on base versus the Huskies were stranded in scoring position.
The Govs return to action, 5:00pm, Tuesday when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for a makeup game with Middle Tennessee that was rained out on March 1st.