56.7 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeSportsAustin Peay State University Softball heads to Samford, Wednesday

Austin Peay State University Softball heads to Samford, Wednesday

Austin Peay at Samford

Wednesday, April 17th, 2018
Bringmingham, AL |  Bulldog Softball Field

APSU SoftballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s softball team looks to get its offense rolling again, 4:00pm, Wednesday as they travel to Birmingham, AL, for a non-conference, midweek, doubleheader versus Samford University.

Austin Peay Softball travels to Birmingham Alabama for doubleheader against Samford, Wednesday. First pitch is at 4:00pm. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Softball travels to Birmingham Alabama for doubleheader against Samford, Wednesday. First pitch is at 4:00pm. (APSU Sports Information)

The Govs (24-14) come into the matchup versus the Bulldogs having seen its offense held to a .238 batting average and six runs scored in three losses last week, while Samford (14-30) has won its last two games and is 9-9 in home games this spring.

The Austin Peay-Samford series is the 10th-most played all-time for the Govs in their history, with Wednesday’s games being the 48th and 49th all-time between the two programs — dating back to their first meeting back on March 18th, 1989. APSU trails in the series 31-16 but has been victorious in four of the last six contests.

2018 APSU Softball - Danielle LiermannLeading the Govs offense attack is junior third baseman Danielle Liermann, who enters the twinbill hitting at a .398 clip, including a team-high 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.

But Liermann hasn’t had to carry the offensive load alone, with four other Govs hitting over the .300-mark so far this season.

Leading the quartet of .300+ hitters is freshman outfielder Bailey Shorter (.330, 2 HR, 14 RBI), followed by a trio of juniors in outfielder Natalie Schilling (.316, 34 R, 27 SB), pitcher/outfielder Morgan Rackel (.308, 6 HR, 23 RBI) and outfielder Kacy Acree (.303, 6 HR, 22 RBI).

2018 APSU Softball - Kelly MardonesIn the circle, the Govs are led by Rackel’s 12-6 mark, which includes a 1.79 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 121 innings of work. She has also recorded two saves.

Junior Kelly Mardones has posted an 8-3 mark this season, with a 2.13 ERA and 24 k’s in 79 innings, while sophomore Kelsey Gross comes into the matchup with a 4-5 record, with two saves, a 4.32 ERA and 30 k’s in 47 innings pitched.

Follow the Govs softball team on Austin Peay’s official athletics website Let’sGoPeay.com or on Twitter @AustinPeaySB for more information or updates.

About the Samford Bulldogs

Offensively, the Bulldogs are batting .266 as a team this spring with Shelby Maze topping all Samford hitters with a .417 batting average, while Whitney Hinton leads the team with six home runs and Hannah Trombley in RBIs with 24.

In the circle, Samford has three pitchers that have recorded at least 10 decisions this season, led by Taylor DeCelles (5-12, 5.81 ERA, 34 K’s), followed by Annalyn Yantis (4-1, 4.83 ERA, 31 k’s) and McKenna Gillespie (3-7, 4.09 ERA, 21 k’s).

Govs Hit-and-Run

Samford was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2008.

This will be the fourth team from the Southern Conference the Govs have faced this season, having already played East Tennessee (2-0), Mercer (1-1) and Chattanooga (1-0).

2018 APSU Softball - Kacy AcreeThe Govs will be the sixth school from the Ohio Valley Conference that Samford has played, with the Bulldogs having played Jacksonville State (1-1), Tennessee Tech (1-1), Tennessee State (1-0), Eastern Illinois (0-1) and Belmont (0-1).

Junior outfielder Kacy Acree has reached base in 14 straight games, one game behind her personal record set last season and tying for the fifth longest such streak by any Govs player since the 2000 season.

The Govs pitching staff needs five strikeouts to reach 200 for the season.

RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles