Austin Peay Lady Govs Softball rally to defeat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 3-2

APSU Sports: Austin Peay Softball

Richmond, KY – Austin Peay’s softball team rallied to win its second Ohio Valley Conference series in as many weeks on Sunday by defeating Eastern Kentucky, 3-2.

The game’s start was delayed 2:58 minutes because of heavy rains in the area, with both teams wanting to get the game in after splitting the first two games of the series on Saturday, with Eastern Kentucky winning the opener 3-2 before the Lady Govs rallied to win the nightcap, 8-5.

The Colonels (15-18, 7-5 OVC) didn’t take long to get on the scoreboard, with Kate Tackett hammering a two-out, two-run homer over the left field fence – also driving in Raquel Howes — to give Eastern Kentucky a 2-0 advantage.

Austin Peay (12-17, 6-9 OVC) would cut the Colonels lead in half in the top of the third inning, with senior Catie Cozart leading off the inning with a double off the center field fence and then moved to third on a single by freshman Lauren Bradley.

Eastern Kentucky would get the Lady Govs hottest hitter, sophomore Lauren de Castro, out on strikes for the first out, but freshman Paige Neely’s sacrifice fly to deep left field drove in Cozart and the Lady Govs inched closer, 2-1.

It would remain that way until the top of the fifth inning when Bradley got thing started with a one-out walk.

That brought up de Castro, who had struck out her first two at bats.

The California native didn’t miss this time, as she hit a towering blast out over the left field fence and onto the top of the batting cages to give the Lady Govs their first lead of the day, 3-2.

Bradley and de Castro had two hits each to lead Austin Peay.

That would be all that Lady Govs junior starter Morgan Brewer would need, as she and the Lady Govs defense turned away the Colonels in both the fifth and sixth inning when they had the tying run in scoring position.

Eastern Kentucky got the first two hitters on to start the fifth inning, but Brewer got the next three Colonels out – including a diving catch in foul territory by senior Ashley Bolda for the second out of the inning.

In the sixth inning, Eastern Kentucky loaded the bases – with one out – but Brewer got a ground ball to Bradley at second base, who threw out the runner at the plate for the second out, while red-shirt junior Jessica Ryan made a diving catch of a sinking line drive into left field for the final out of the inning to end the threat.

Eastern Kentucky would get the tying run on in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Austin Peay’s defense would step up once again, with the Lady Govs ending the game by turning a 5-4-3 double play to not only seal away Sunday’s victory, but lock up the Lady Govs second winning conference series weekend.

Brewer (6-7) finished the day giving up eight hits and two runs, while striking out four and walking one.

Austin Peay is off until Wednesday, when they host OVC leading Tennessee Martin at Cheryl Holt Field for a doubleheader, starting at 5:00pm.