Richmond, KY – Sammie Shelander tallied two home runs in a 5-2, Game 1 victory, while Brie Howard notched a grand slam in a late comeback bid during a 10-8 loss during the nightcap, as the Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball team split a Saturday doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky at Gertrude Hood Field.
Game One
Austin Peay 5, Eastern Kentucky 2
Led by a two-home-run game by Sammie Shelander, Austin Peay State University outhit Eastern Kentucky 7-3 and had six runners reach base on walks.
How It Happened
Top 1st | Emilee Baker led off the game with a walk before Shelander tallied her first home run of the day on a ball to deep right field to give the APSU Govs a 2-0 lead.
Bottom 1st | Eastern Kentucky’s leadoff batter reached on a nine-pitch walk and advanced into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt. A single down the right field line then scored the runner from the second and cut APSU’s advantage in half.
Top 3rd | Baker singled up the middle of the field to begin the top of the third and advanced to second on a ground out. For the second time in three frames, Shelander then homered to deep center to add two runs onto the Govs’ early lead.
Bottom 6th | Eastern Kentucky’s first three batters reached safely following two singles and a walk. After an Alanah Jones strikeout, the Colonels’ Makayla Mathis lifted a ball to center field for a sacrifice fly, but it proved to be the final score of the game for EKU, with Jade Castillo catching a ball in foul territory for the final out of the frame.
Top 7th | Brie Howard and Shelander led off the top of the seventh with a single and walk, respectively. Howard was then scored by a Katie Raper single for the final run of the game.
Pitching Breakdown | Alanah Jones pitched a complete game, surrendering just three hits and two runs across 7.0 innings.
Game Two
Austin Peay 8, Eastern Kentucky 10
Despite outscoring the Colonels 8-2 across the final three innings of a play – and 4-0 across the final two – a seven-run fourth inning by the Colonels proved to be the difference in the two-run decision.
How it Happened
Bottom 1st | Eastern Kentucky’s leadoff hitter reached on a single, stole second, and reached third following a one-out base knock. With runners on second and third following EKU’s second stolen base of the frame, a ground ball scored the game’s first run.
Bottom 4th | EKU’s second batter reached on a fielder’s choice before a single, steal, and passed ball scored the inning’s first run. The Colonels then scored again on a ball hit to shortstop, before back-to-back APSU fielding errors resulted in three additional runs for the Colonels. The Colonels scored their sixth and seventh runs of the frame on a wild pitch and single, respectively. Austin Peay State University then recorded the final two outs of the inning following a fly out to Shelby Allen in right field and an unassisted ground out to Sammie Shelander at first base.
Top 5th | Austin Peay State University cut its 8-0 deficit in half, with the Govs picking back-to-back walks to begin the frame and Emilee Baker singling to left field to load the bases with no outs. On the first pitch she saw of the at-bat, Brie Howard fired a ball over Eastern Kentucky’s scoreboard to bring make it an 8-4 game.
Bottom 5th | EKU answered the Govs’ highest-scoring inning of the day with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, coming on a sacrifice fly and ground out in back-to-back plate appearances.
Top 6th | Kiley Hinton led off the top of the sixth with a single up the middle of the field before Navarro’s first home run since her sophomore season in 2024 at Florida International again cut the EKU lead to four.
Top 7th | Heading to the final inning of play, Raper drew a one-out walk and her pinch runner – Maggie Daughrity – advanced to third following an Ashlyn Dulaney double. Hinton then scored both Daughrity and Dulaney on a single following a fielding error by the Colonels centerfielder. Despite the late comeback bid, the Govs’ next two batters went down following a fielder’s choice and fly out to end the contest.
Pitching Breakdown | Cameron Grayson started the game for Austin Peay and tossed 3.1 innings, allowing two earned runs in her decision. Emberly Nichols then tosses 2.2 innings, facing 13 batters and allowing two runs.
