Austin Peay State University Softball splits doubleheader with Tennessee State Tigers

Austin Peay Sports Information

Clarksville, TN – Savanna Oliver‘s pinch-hit, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning rallied the Austin Peay State University softball team past Tennessee State, Sunday afternoon at Cheryl Holt Field, as the Govs won Game 2 of the Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader 8-6 after dropping the opener 7-4.

Austin Peay (6-25, 2-12 OVC) had seen Tennessee State tie the game 6-6 in the top of the inning on a two-run homer over the center field wall by Lindsey Burgess — her second home run of the game  –in the top of the seventh inning.

Oliver didn’t disappoint, as she blasted a 1-1 pitch from Lauren Woodard (3-18) over the left-center field fence for the walk-off, pinch-hit game winner, ending a 12-game losing streak for Austin Peay.

The pinch-hit homer was the second of Oliver’s career, having also turned the trick versus Appalachian State on February 28th, 2015, and the first walk-off win for Austin Peay since March 25, 2015 – in an 8-6 victory over Samford.

Christiana Gable (1-1) got the win in relief, her first collegiate victory.

Tennessee State (9-32, 2-12 OVC) took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning highlighted by a Burgess three-run homer, with Abi Stephens also picking up a RBI with a double in the inning.

The Govs would cut the TSU lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, with Chandler Groves driving in one run with a single and Kacy Acree the other two on an opposite-field double down the left-field line.

Groves, Mattson and Rikki Arkansas all finished the game with two hits each.

Austin Peay would take its first lead of the day in the bottom of the sixth, with Danielle Liermann blasting a three-run homer out to left field, to make it 6-4.

The home run gives Liermann a team-best 29 RBIs so far this season, which sets a school record for RBIs by a freshman – breaking the old mark of 27 set back in 2007 by Daniella Hooper and Ashley Taylor.

In Game 1, Tennessee State took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a grand slam by Joselynn Yates – the only hit given up in the inning  by APSU starter Autumn Hanners (3-11) – after the Tigers had loaded the bases on a hit batter, a fielder’s choice and a walk.

Austin Peay would tie the game with four run of its own in the bottom of the third inning, with Liermann driving in three with a home run and Erica Inagaki picking up the other with a bases-loaded walk.

Liermann would record two hits in the loss, while Acree led the team with three hits.

But the Tigers would respond with a two-run double by Danica Gleason in the top of the fourth, to take the lead for good, 6-4, while adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a home run by Kim Trice.

Austin Peay returns to action on Tuesday, 4:00pm, with a non-conference make-up game at Middle Tennessee.