By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Don't be fooled by Austin Peay's record in the Ohio Valley Conference. Even though the Governors hold on to an 8-6 record in league play, they have beaten some of the top teams in the conference.
Austin Peay comes to town on Friday and Saturday for a three-game set – a doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m., then a single game on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
Admission to the Tech Softball Field is free to the public. Social distancing is in effect and masks must be worn by all fans in accordance with Tech and Ohio Valley Conference COVID-19 protocols.
APSU (13-8, 8-6 OVC) has had tougher luck away from Cathi Maynard Park, posting a 2-7 record on the road. The Govs went 1-2 at Southeast Missouri, Eastern Illinois and lost both meetings at Murray State among the league slate.
Last weekend, Austin Peay swept Belmont, blanking the Bruins in two games, then blasting them 11-3 sandwiched in between.
Make no mistake, while the Governors aren't necessarily a power team, knocking out 10 home runs on the season, APSU can hit the ball, collecting 153 total hits – an average of 7.3 hits per outing. Five Govs are hitting better than .300 with Lexi Osowski leading the way with a .456 batting average and Brooke Pfefferle also over .400 with a .429 mark.
Bailey Shorter (.349), Drew Dudley (.340) and Kelsey Gross (.306) are also hitting over .300 on the year. Gross leads the team in total RBI with 20, while Osowski has 14, Shorter 12 and Brett Jackson 10. Owsowski (15), Shorter (14) and Kelsey Gray (13) also have double-digit totals in runs scored.
As a team, APSU has a .288 batting average and have outscored opponents 97-72, collecting 88 RBI and 222 total bases, while stealing nine bases on 11 attempts. In comparison, Tech is hitting .259, have been outscored 105-98, collecting 87 RBI and 258 total bases and stealing 21 bases on 24 attempts.
Tech has a trio of batters hitting above .300 with Sydney Love-Baker and Beth McCulley tied for the team lead at .333, while Nicolle Nysted is batting .319. There are five Golden Eagles with double-digit RBI totals as Nysted leads with 15 – along with six home runs – while Jessie Lowery (14), Love-Baker (12), Mackenzie Fitzgerald (12) and Haeli Bryson (10) also have passed that milestone.
In the circle, Austin Peay has a staff ERA of 3.52, led by Jordan Benefiel with a 5-2 record and a 1.18 ERA. Opponents are hitting .172 against her as she has walked eight and struck out 41 in 35 2/3 innings of work in seven appearances. Harley Mullins (4.71 ERA, 58 innings) has seen the most work and posted a 4-5 record with 29 walks and 31 strikeouts. Gross also has a 2.94 ERA and a 4-1 record in 10 appearances.
Tech has a staff ERA of 3.36, led by Haeli Bryson (5-3) with a 2.61 mark, five walks and 34 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .217 against her. Alyssa Arden has a team-high seven wins to go along with a 2.98 ERA in 87 innings of work, 61 strikeouts and opponents hitting .193 against her.
