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APSU Softball gets 4-3 win over Nicholls State at Red & Blue Classic

APSU Sports Information

APSU Softball - Austin Peay State UniversityOxford, MS – Austin Peay State University’s softball team held off a late charge by Nicholls State, Friday morning at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, as the Governors defeated the Colonels 4-3, before dropping their second game, 4-2, to UT Martin, in the opening day of the Red & Blue Classic.

The Govs (6-5) would get on the board first in the bottom of the second inning on a double by Kendall Vedder into left-center field driving in Allie Blackwood – who had opened the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch, then move into scoring position at second base following a walk to Christiana Gable.

Austin Peay Softball senior Christiana Gable hit a two-run homer against Nicholls State Friday. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Softball senior Christiana Gable hit a two-run homer against Nicholls State Friday. (APSU Sports Information)

Nicholls State (12-8) would tie the game, 1-1, with an unearned run in the top of the third inning.

The score was still 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Christiana Gable hit her first home run of the season – a two-run shot over the center field fence – too also drive in Carly Mattson, who had reached on a single for a 3-1 lead.

The two teams would both score single runs in the fifth inning, with Nicholls State making it a one-run game one final time, 5-4, by hitting a home run of its own in the sixth inning.

But that would be as close as the Colonels would get, with Governors starter Kelsey Gross (4-2) wrapping up the complete-game victory by sitting down three of the four hitters she faced in the top of the seventh – including the game’s final out coming on a strikeout.

Gross would finish the game scattering seven hits, while walking six, striking out six and stranding 11 Colonels on base.

Game 2 didn’t go as well for the Govs with Tennessee Martin getting out on top 2-0 on two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning, then make it 4-0 in the third thanks to three extra-base hits in the frame.

The Gove would try to mount a rally, scoring two runs of its own in the top of the fifth inning – both coming on a two-run homer to center field by Mattson, her fourth of the year – to make it 4-2.

Mattson would finish the game going 3-for-3 at the plate, plus a walk, to extend her personal string of games reaching base to 16 – dating back to the final five games of the 2016 and all 11 this season.

But that would be as close as APSU would get the rest of the way, despite picking up three hits in the final two innings.

Austin Peay continues play at the Red & Blue Classic on Saturday, playing tournament host and #23-nationaly ranked Mississippi at 3:00pm.

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