Cookeville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball team hit three home runs versus Tennessee Tech, Sunday at Tech Softball Field, to power the Govs to a sweep of its three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against the Golden Eagles, 9-7.
And it didn’t take long for the Governors (16-8, 11-6 OVC) to flex their muscles, with their third batter of the game, Lexi Osowski hitting her third of the season, following a single by Brooke Pfefferle, two make it 2-0.
Tennessee Tech (13-17, 7-9 OVC) answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, but the Govs answered right back with a run in the top of the second, coming on a double by Bailey Shorter, driving in Emily Moore, making it 3-1.
The Golden Eagles would tie the game at three-all with two runs of their own in the third, aided by back-to-back doubles to open the inning.
APSU would answer with their second big fly of the game in the fourth, with Shorter leaving the yard for the fourth time this season — second time of the series — to score three runs and retake the lead, 6-3.
Tennessee Tech wouldn’t go away, as they hit their only homer of the day in the bottom of the inning, also a three-run shot, to tie the game for the second time on the day, 6-6.
But it would be the Govs that had the final round-tripper of the day, with Kelsey Gross hitting a laser out over the left field fence for her second home run of the season, also scored Shorter and Pfefferle, to put APSU up three, 9-6.
Tennessee Tech would tack on a run in the bottom of the inning, to get to within two, but Gross (6-1) — who came in to pitch in relief in the fourth inning — set the Golden Eagles down in order in the seventh, including striking out the final batter of the game on a called third strike to seal away the victory and secure the series sweep for the Govs.
Inside the Boxscore
Lexi Osowski extended her current hit streak to 11 straight games, tying for the seventh-longest such streak by a Govs softball player since 2000.
With her win in relief, Kelsey Gross moved into a tie with Lauren deCastro (2011-14) for ninth place all-time in career wins in program history, with 27 victories.
With her fourth-inning stolen base, Emily Moore becomes the seventh player in program history to steal at least 30 bases in a career.
In getting hit by pitches three times, Emily Moore moves into a tie with former APSU Gov Vinchenza DiBenedetto (2014-16) for third place all-time in program history, with 19.
The three home runs hit by the APSU Govs was their first three-home game since blasting three versus Belmont on March 29th, 2019.
The four-RBI day by Bailey Shorter was a career single-game high.
Emily Moore getting hit by a pitch three times is the first time a Gov has been hit three times in game since Brooke Pfefferle suffered the same fate versus South Alabama on February 15th, 2000.
The three-game road series sweep by the Govs is their first since taking all three games at McNeese on February 22nd-23rd, 2019.
Austin Peay State University has now won its last eight games versus Tennessee Tech.
APSU coach Kassie Stanfill statements
Q: Huge road sweep with a few starters out this weekend and to grind out not one but two down-to-the-wire victories, out of the three wins, shows just how scrappy Team 36 is doesn’t it?
A: “Lexi Osowski told me on Wednesday that she and the team were ready for this weekend. Mentioned that we were ‘Gritty Govs’ and that we would find a way to win. That was the mindset that we took into this weekend at TTU.”
Q: Your squad’s offense has been on fire these last couple of weeks, averaging just over eight runs a game in their last six contests, what has gotten them firing on all cylinders of late?
Q: Now you return home for a nine-game homestand, beginning Tuesday, and you must feel pretty good with the momentum you carry into that stretch of games as you make the push to get into the OVC Tournament at the end of the season?
A: “We feel we are still in the running for the OVC Tournament. We will continue to grow as Team 36 and focus on taking care of things one game at a time.”
Box Score
Austin Peay 9, Tennessee Tech 7
| R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 11 | 1 | |
| 7 | 10 | 0 |
W: GROSS, Kelsey (6-1) L: ARDEN,Alyssa (7-9)
Next Up For APSU Softball
The Austin Peay State University softball team returns home to Cathi Maynard Park-Cheryl Holt Field Tuesday to begin a nine-game home stand, beginning with a doubleheader versus Murray State.
