Austin Peay Lady Govs Softball drops two games to North Texas after extra inning loss

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Women’s Softball

Tulsa, OK – Austin Peay’s softball team dropped a pair of games to North Texas on Saturday, at the Hyatt Downtown Tulsa Tournament, including a 4-3 heart-breaking extra-inning loss in the semifinals after losing 13-2 in the final game of round-robin play.

With the two losses, the Lady Govs (5-7) will play in Sunday’s consolation game against Loyola Chicago (0-4) at 10:00am.

The Lady Govs would tie the game in the top of the fourth inning on sophomore Kayla Davidson’s third home run of the season, which also scored red-shirt junior Jessica Ryan – who opened the inning with a walk.

The Mean Green would retake the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when pinch runner Jessica Shields – who came in for Grimes after she reached on an intentional walk – scored on a bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Jackie Miller.

Austin Peay would tie the game for the final time 3-3 in the top of the sixth when Davidson – who opened the inning with a walk – scored all the way around from first on two errors on the same play by North Texas.

The first error was on the Mean Green catcher, whose pickoff attempt hit off Davidson’s foot and went into right field allowing her to go to third.

But the throw to third by the North Texas right fielder got by the third baseman, with Davidson scampering home.

The game-winning run came in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Johnson drove in Brooke Foster from third with a single off the glove of a leaping Laurel Burroughs at short – with one out.

Sophomore Lauren de Castro had two hits for Austin Peay.

In the opener versus North Texas to wrap up round-robin play, Austin Peay was the victim of the long ball giving up four home runs that accounted for 10 of the 13 runs scored by the Mean Green.

The first of the four homers came in the top of the first inning, a grand slam by Johnson, following three singles to load the bases with one out – as the Mean Green jumped out to a 5-0 lead.

North Texas would add four more runs in the top of the second – including a two-run home run by Ashley McCarroll – to extend the lead out to 9-0.

The score would remain that way until the top of the fourth inning, when North Texas tacked on three more runs, to go up 12-0 – all coming on McCarroll’s second home run of the game.

Austin Peay would use the long ball to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, when senior Catie Cozart broke up North Texas starter Lauren Pool’s perfect game with a single through the right side of the infield followed by Ryan’s second home run of the season to cut the margin to 12-2.

North Texas would add a final run in the top of the fifth inning on a home run by Maddelyn Fraley.

Senior Amy Mills would be the only other Lady Gov to reach base in the contest, drawing a fifth inning walk.

Box Score – Game 1

North Texas vs Austin Peay
March 3rd, 2012 at Tulsa, OK. (Collins SB Complex)
10:00am Game

Score by Innings               R  H  E
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North Texas......... 540 31 - 13 10  0
Austin Peay......... 000 20 -  2  2  0
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Box Score – Game 2

Austin Peay vs North Texas
March 3rd, 2012 at Tulsa, OK. (Collins SB Complex)
3:00pm Game

Score by Innings                   R  H  E
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Austin Peay......... 000 201 00 -  3  6  0
North Texas......... 110 010 01 -  4  5  4
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