CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the score tied in the final game of the Cathi Maynard Invitational, the Austin Peay Governors used a dramatic solo home run from Kylie Campbell to take the lead in their final at-bat. App State tallied two base hits in the top of the seventh but couldn't answer and dropped the finale 4-3 to Austin Peay, which extended its winning streak to 19 games.
The Mountaineers (9-15) tallied eight hits in the game, which included two doubles from
Macy Hamby and a multi-hit game from
Marti Henkel, her first multi-hit game as a Mountaineer. Hamby scorched three hits against the Governors (22-3), setting a new career high for hits in a game for the sophomore. App State also saw hits apiece from
Leah Gore,
Grace Barrett and
Madison McIntyre.
Sejal Neas, Sunday's starting pitcher, recorded her 250th strikeout against the Governors in the second inning, which made her the eighth pitcher in program history to tally 250 strikeouts. Neas pitched well in her 61st career start as a Mountaineer, going four innings and allowing just one run on five hits. Neas pitched to a 1.47 ERA for the weekend and struck out 11 hitters in 14.1 innings of work.
App State's offense was very good in Clarksville this weekend, scoring 34 runs, which included 25 runs across Saturday's doubleheader against Bucknell and UMass Lowell.
Julia Girk led the way with seven hits in 14 at-bats and McIntyre tallied a team-best two homers. Henkel posted her best weekend in the Black and Gold with five hits in 11 at-bats and three RBI.
How it Happened
In almost identical fashion as the first matchup between these two teams, App State started fast with two runs in the top of the first to take an early lead in hostile territory.
Makayla McClain started the game by working a walk and then the first of two doubles by Hamby put two in scoring position. Before Gore stepped to the plate, McClain scored off a throwing error by the shortstop to make it 1-0.
With Hamby on second, Gore singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Gore stole second base after a strikeout for the first out, and Barrett brought home Hamby with a sacrifice fly to put the Mountaineers up two after a half inning.
Neas responded with a scoreless inning in the bottom of the first, stranding the bases loaded by striking out her first hitter of the game. App State loaded the bases itself in the top of the second after Henkel singled,
Summer Simpson walked and Hamby singled, but couldn't score.
Austin Peay tallied a run in the second inning to cut into the Mountaineers' lead, using three hits and an error to do so. Despite allowing the run, Neas retired the side with a strikeout, her 250th career strikeout.
Both sides went quietly in the third and fourth innings as the battle between Neas and Governor pitcher Ashley Martin heated up. Neas stranded another runner in scoring position in the fourth inning to keep App State's lead at one into the third.
The Mountaineers extended their lead to two runs in the top of the fifth inning, capitalizing on a crucial miscue to do so. Hamby's third hit and second double of the contest started the inning and after two outs, Barrett reached base via hit-by-pitch to put two on for Girk. The freshman put the ball in play to first base and hustled all the way through the bag to beat a muffed grounder by the first baseman to score
Jaylee Williams, who pinch-ran for Hamby at second. Girk stole second base, but a popout ended the inning.
Now with a two-run lead, the Mountaineers turned to
Sophie Moshos in the circle looking to close the game. Austin Peay didn't let that happen, however, as it scored twice in the fifth to tie the score at three. A two-out RBI double by Macee Roberts delivered the punch.
App State saw two hitters reach in the sixth, which included Henkel's second hit, but couldn't score. The Governors took the lead in their final at-bat after seeing a huge two-out solo homer go over the right-field wall. Looking to tie the score at four, Barrett and McIntyre singled to put two on, but a sharply hit ball to third base by Henkel was snagged to end the game. Austin Peay's win ran its win streak to 19 games.
Sunday Notes
Home runs
App: N/A
APSU: Campbell (4)
WP: Ashley Martin (6-0): 6 IP, 5 hits, 1 run (0 earned runs), 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
SV: N/A
LP:
Sophie Moshos (5-5): 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up Next
App State will open Sun Belt Conference play on Friday by traveling to preseason favorite Texas State this Friday-Sunday. The Mountaineers' trip to San Marcos will mark the second straight year that the Bobcats will host App State. The three-game series is set to start on Friday at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT), and every game can be streamed on ESPN+.
