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HomeSportsAPSU Softball travels to East Tennessee for Buccaneer Classic

APSU Softball travels to East Tennessee for Buccaneer Classic

APSU Sports Information

APSU SoftballClarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s softball team will make its first ever trip to Johnson City, Tennessee, and Betty Basler Field this weekend to play in the East Tennessee State University Buccaneer Classic.

The Governors (6-7) will open-up play in the classic, 9:00am, Saturday morning versus Jackson State, followed by a 1:30pm afternoon contest against the classic’s host East Tennessee.

Austin Peay Softball to take part in the East Tennessee State University Buccaneer Classic this weekend. (APSU Sports Information)
Austin Peay Softball to take part in the East Tennessee State University Buccaneer Classic this weekend. (APSU Sports Information)

The classic concludes on Sunday for APSU with a 9:00am contest versus Saint Peter’s and a rematch with East Tennessee at 1:30pm.

The Govs enter the weekend having played some of its beat softball of the season last week, as they went 5-2 and reached the championship game of the Western Kentucky Hilltopper Spring Fling Tournament.

Leading the Govs offense heading into the weekend is the current Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week Danielle Liermann, batted .364 last week, with three home runs among her eight hits and 12 RBIs in seven games, while overall this season she is hitting at an even .400, with three doubles, six home runs and 21 RBIs.

Kacy Acree is the only other Governor hitting over .300 after the team’s first 13 games, coming in with a .345 batting average, with two doubles, a home run and five RBI.

Bailey Shorter (.296, 2 HR) and Natalie Schilling (.286, 7 SB) are also off to quality starts to the season at the plate.

In the circle, Austin Peay has three pitchers that have picked up wins this season led by Morgan Rackel (3-2, 2.18 ERA, 49 K’s) and followed by Kelly Mardones (2-2, 2.39 ERA, 11 K’s) and Kelsey Gross (1-3, 7.88 ERA, 11 K’s).

Rackel and Mardones pitched back-to-back shutouts versus Western Kentucky and Dayton last weekend at the Hilltopper Spring Fling Tournament, while Gross picked up her first win in the second meeting of the weekend versus Western Kentucky.

Follow the Govs softball team on Austin Peay’s official athletics website Let’sGoPeay.com or on Twitter @AustinPeaySB for any other information, updates and possible schedule changes.

Scouting the Opposition

Jackson State
The Tigers enter the weekend with a 3-6 overall record in 2018 but have won three of its last four outings. They are led at the plate by junior Kelsey Smith’s .471 batting average, which includes two doubles, a triple and a home run along with 10 RBI. In the circle, sophomore Symone Madison Williams tops the JSU pitching staff with a 1-2 record and a 5.95 ERA.

Saint Peter’s
While the Govs have been playing for a month, the Peacocks just opened their 2018 schedule last weekend, going 1-3 at the Coppin State Eagles Classic. Offensively, the Peacocks had three hitters bat over .400 in their opening weekend, led by senior Nicole Feoli’s .467 average, along with six runs scored and four stolen bases. In the circle, junior Barbara Verrastro picked up Saint Peter’s lone win so far this season and is 1-1 overall with a 4.74 ERA.

East Tennessee
The Buccaneers enter their own classic with a 6-9 mark so far in 2018, including a 2-2 finish at the Purple/Gold Challenge at Lipscomb University this past weekend in Nashville. At the plate, the Bucs are led by junior Taylor Wright’s .385 batting average, which includes two doubles and two home runs. In the circle, senior Madison Ogle has been their workhorse, with a 4-4 record, a 2.11 ERA and 36 K’s.

Govs Hit-and-Run

The game between Austin Peay and Saint Peter’s will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Austin Peay is 1-1 all-time versus East Tennessee and Jackson State.

The Buccaneer Classic is the fourth of five in-season tournaments the Govs are scheduled to play in during 2018.

Danielle Liermann‘s selection this week as the OVC Player of the Week was the 16th time an APSU softball player has been selected for a weekly conference honor.

The weekend marks the first time this spring that Austin Peay has played in the state of Tennessee.

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