Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s softball team will be making its final four-game Ohio Valley Conference weekend road-swing, Saturday and Sunday, as it takes on Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State.
Offensively, the Lady Govs enter the matchup with four players hitting .300-or-better on the season through 34 games — led by Niya Sparks‘ .329 batting average, seven home runs and 20 RBI, while Rikki Arkansas (.320/1 2B/4 RBI), Laurel Burroughs (.311/6 HR/19 RBI) and Chandler Groves (.305/4 HR/24 RBI) round out the quartet.
In the circle, Natalie Ayala (4-10, 5.30 ERA, 25 Ks) leads the Lady Govs pitching staff, with Sidney Hooper (2-8, 7.88 ERA, 21 Ks) also recording multiple wins this season.
Tennessee Tech (24-21, 11-6 OVC) is led at the plate by Hannah Eldridge (.333/5 HR/23 RBI) and Alyssa Richards (.333/7 HR/25 RBI), while Danielle Liberatore (13-8/2.11 ERA/183 Ks) has been the Golden Eagles’ pitching staff workhorse.
Jacksonville State, which will play host to Murray State for a Saturday doubleheader, enters the weekend with a 26-14 overall record and 9-5 mark in OVC play.
The Gamecocks are led at the plate by Savannah Sloan (.354/1 HR/13 RBI), while Sara Borders (.348/10 HR/33 RBI) provides most of the JSU power.
JSU has a trio of pitchers who have accounted for a majority of the Gamecock innings this season, led by Logan Green (1-4/2.46 ERA/45 Ks), while Taylor Green (8-4/2.41 ERA/83 Ks) and Whitney Gillespie (8-5/2.95 ERA/50 Ks) rounds out the group.
