Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball’s Jordan Benefiel pitched a shutout, while Lexi Osowski picked up three hits and accounted for four runs versus Belmont, Saturday at Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field, as the Govs took the opening game of their three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, 5-0.
Game 2, Saturday, was postponed until, 1:00pm, Sunday, where it will be resumed to completion and then followed by the regularly scheduled Sunday contest.
Benefiel (4-2) was in control from the start as she only allowed three hits, all to the Bruins (8-13, 4-8 OVC) leadoff hitter Cheyenne Cavanaugh, while walking one and striking out a career tying nine batters.
Offensively, after the two teams opened the game trading three scoreless innings, the Governors (11-8, 6-6 OVC) would break the deadlock with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Osowski would get things started with a one-out single followed by a walk to Kelsey Gross and then a single by Brett Jackson to load the bases.
Emily Harkleroad would follow with an infield single, to score Osowski, with Drew Dudley driving in Gross with a single to make it 2-0.
The Govs would three more runs in the fifth inning, with Osowski driving in Kelsey Gray and Bailey Shorter with a single and later in the inning scored on a passed ball for the 5-0 final margin.
Inside the Boxscore
The shutout in Game 1 was Jordan Benefiel’s first collegiate shutout.
Jordan Benefiel joined teammates Kelsey Gross and Harley Mullins in recording shutouts this season, the first time in program history three different pitchers have thrown shutouts in the same season.
The three-hit day by Lexi Osowski was the 33rd multi-hit game of her career.
Jordan Benefiel lowered her OVC leading opponent’s batting average against to .173 this season.
Drew Dudley extended her season-long hit streak to seven games, with a fourth-inning single.
Box Score
Belmont 0, Austin Peay 5
| R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 5 | 8 | 0 |
W: BENEFIEL, Jordan (4-2) L: Clesi, ALex (1-4)
