Conway, AR – Coming off a heartbreaking loss just a day prior, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball team left no doubt, using an eight-run fourth inning to power itself to a 9-1, five-inning Atlantic Sun Conference victory against Central Arkansas, Saturday, at Farris Field.
Austin Peay (28-5, 6-2 ASUN) outhit Central Arkansas (16-19, 4-3 ASUN), 12-3 for its 14th game, reaching double digits in the hit column this season. Kiley Hinton’s trio of hits paced the Governors, while Ashley Diaz, Kayleigh Roper, and Skylar Sheridan all went yard in the road win.
Raylon Roach and Kylie Campbell led the game with a single and fielding error, respectively, while Macee Roberts was hit on the first pitch she faced. Sam Leski then drove in Roach to put the Govs on the board, with the 1-0 lead holding midway through the frame.
A Central Arkansas RBI double in the bottom of the first tied the two ASUN foes at one, with the score standing until the top of the fourth.
About that fourth inning…
Making her first-collegiate start at right field, Diaz swung on the first pitch she saw, and collected her first-career homer which went over the left field wall. After a flyout, Hinton doubled and was brought back around by a first-pitch home run.
New pitcher comes in for the Bears, but the result stays the same, as Sheridan steps in as a pinch hitter and barrels one over the wall for her first home run since an April 15, 2023 contest at Lipscomb.
A Roberts single, Sammie Shelander walk, and Leski Walk loaded the bases for Austin Peay – who had now batted around the order – and Diaz kept the bat going with a two-RBI single to center field to make the Govs’ lead now 7-1. Howard then scored Diaz and Leski on a single to extend the advantage to eight.
Despite back-to-back walks and a UCA ground out to advance the runners into scoring position, Roach made a grab in left field to strand the runners and keep the Gov’s advantage intact.
Gov of Decision: Ashley Martin (W, 9-0), 5.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 4BB, 4K, 24BF, 95 pitches
Box Score Bullets
Austin Peay State University’s win, its 28th of the season, is tied for the fifth-most in a single season in program history. It also is the third-most under seventh-year head coach Kassie Stanfill (33, 2017; 30, 2022). The win total also surpasses the Govs past their 27 last season.
Ashley Martin improved to 9-0 on the season, tied for the 26th-most in program history. Martin’s 16 wins at Austin Peay (16-3) also move her to 19th all-time.
APSU’s Ashley Diaz had quite the starting debut in right field for the Governors. She had her first career home run, – which also was her first-career extra-base hit – first multi-hit game (2), and first multi-RBI game (3).
Skylar Sheridan pinch hit for the Governors in the fourth innings, where she had her first home run in 714 days. Sheridan is the first pinch hitter to record a home run since Ashlynn Dulaney earlier this season against Morehead State, Feb. 23, at the Furman Classic.
Kayleigh had her sixth home run of the season against the Bears, with a trio of her four-baggers coming since the start of ASUN Conference play.
Austin Peay State University’s trio of fourth-inning home runs marked the second time they have accomplished such this season and the first since having three-straight against Appalachian State, March 7th, in the Cathi Maynard Invitational.
Macee Roberts collected her 100th and 101st hits as a Governor. It also marked the Indianapolis, Indiana native’s 29th-career multi-hit performance.
APSU’s Kiley Hinton tied her career’s best hitting performance with a trio of knocks in the victory.
With her trio of hits, Kiley Hinton extended her career-high reached-base streak to 17 games.
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Next Up For APSU Softball
The rubber match. The Austin Peay State University softball team faces Central Arkansas in a Sunday 1:00pm contest at Farris Field to decide the series winner. Following that contest, the Governors return home for a three-day series against Bellarmine, April 4th-6th, at Cathi Maynard Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.
