Oxford, AL – Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball got runners on base in all seven innings versus Eastern Kentucky, in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Thursday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama, but were only able to push two runs across as the Governors fell to the Colonels, 5-2.
Overall, the Governors (27-15) recorded twice as many hits, 10-5, as the Colonels (33-15), but left 12 runners on base, while two of EKU’s five hits left the park and accounted for three of their five runs.
Austin Peay, after leaving three runners on base over the first two innings, were able to score the game’s first run in the top of the third, with Kendyl Weinzapfel and Lexi Osowski picking up back-to-back one out singles, and then an out later see Weinzapfel come around to score on a single by Emily Harkleroad.
But the lead was short lived, as the APSU Govs committed their only error of the game on a bunt single, with a wild throw allowing the EKU baserunner to get to second.
The next Colonel singled to put runners at first and third, with Eastern Kentucky tying the game on a sacrifice fly, then two batter later that the lead on a two-run homer.
Two more runners would be stranded by the Govs in the fourth, with EKU extending their lead with their second home run of the game, a solo shot, making it 4-1.
The Govs tried to chip away at the Colonels lead, scoring a run in the top of the fifth, with Osowski leading off the inning with a double and then two outs later score on a single by Drew Dudley, making it 4-2.
Osowski, Dudley, Harkleroad, and Bailey Shorter all finished the game with two hits each for the Govs.
But that would be as close as the Govs would get, as Eastern Kentucky tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, while the Govs missed scoring opportunities in both the sixth and seventh innings, leaving two runners on base in each inning.
Jordan Benefiel (8-7) took the loss for the Govs, who now fall into the tournament’s elimination bracket and will need to win two games on Friday to stay alive in the tournament, starting with a 2:00pm matchup versus Jacksonville State, then with a victory, play the loser of the 10:00am contest between Southeast Missouri and Eastern Kentucky, at 6:00pm.
Inside the Boxscore
Lexi Osowski’s fifth inning double moved her alone into seventh place all time in program history with 31.
APSU falls to 20-3 in games where they out-hit their opponents this season.
Lexi Osowski extended her current hit streak to 10 straight games; her second double-digit game hit streak this season.
The Govs are now 5-5 all-time in game played at Choccolocco Park.
Box Score
Austin Peay 2, Eastern Kentucky 5
| R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 10 | 1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 1 |
W: PAULICK, Mollie (11-1) L: BENEFIEL, Jordan (8-7)
