April 7, 2002

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.- Jessica Warden's first career homerun came at a great time for Austin Peay as the blast in the top of the seventh inning broke a 5-5 time and salvaged the third game of the series for the Lady Govs. The win was only the second in the team's last 34 games against Southeast Missouri.

SS Brooke Nett wasted no time getting the Otahkians on the board, taking the second pitch she faced over the left-centerfield wall and putting Southeast up 1-0. But the Otahks were not done scoring as RF Courntey Eklund singled home pinch runner Stacy DeClue to increase the lead to 2-0.

Austin Peay (13-24-1, 2-6-1 OVC) responded quickly in the top of the second when 2B Brooke Platt singled and C Christina Garza tried to sacrifice her to second base. Garza, however, acquired two strikes on bunt attempts, which turned out to be a good thing for the Lady Govs. Swinging away on the next pitch, Garza laced a double to left-centerfield that scored Platt and brought APSU within a run at 2-1.

Garza came through an inning later, getting a two-run double that scored CF Candice Haefele and SS Jenny Kelley and vaulting the Lady Govs back into the lead at 3-2. APSU would score again in the fourth inning, when Kelley doubled down the leftfield line scoring Haefele and pushing their advantage to 4-2.

Southeast (7-17, 4-5 OVC) got one run closer in the fifth inning when pinch hitter Christine Knobbe walked to open the inning and was pinch run for by Michelle Lunsford. Lunsford advanced to second base on a groundout by Nett and while trying to advance to third on the same play, was benefited by a Lady Gov throwing error that sailed into the Otahkian dugout, allowing Lunsford to score and closed the gap to 4-3.

Kelley continued to be a thorn in the Otahkians side, as her blooping single over the outstretched glove of Nett in the sixth inning scored Jennifer Adcock and put the Lady Govs up 5-3.

But the Otahkians were not dead in the water as they scored twice in the sixth inning to tie the game at five. With one out, Eklund doubled to start the rally for Southeast. After Kelly Birk grounded out, CF Kemi Rampi hit a grounder to the pitcher that was thrown high at first base allowing Rampi to advance to second and scoring Eklund. SS Dawn Piantino then doubled to right-centerfield scoring pinch runner Shelley Conroy and tying the game. Piantino had entered the game in the third inning after not starting for the first time this season.

But as they had all day, the Lady Govs had an answer. Warden took a two-out fastball from Southeast reliever Rachel Van Fleet and parked it over the leftfield wall to push Austin Peay back into a 6-5 lead, which would be the final margin of the game.

"We capitalized well on Austin Peay's mistakes today to help keep us in the game," Southeast coach Lana Richmond said after the game. "It was just a matter of getting consistency from our pitchers. It's the same old story. We got it yesterday (in Southeast's doubleheader sweep of APSU) but did not have it today. We are playing good defense and we can hit the ball, but we need that consistent pitching to stay in the OVC race."

Reliever Holly Ricketts (4-10) picked up the victory after getting a loss yesterday. She pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out two. Van Fleet (4-5) took the loss after allowing the homerun in her only inning of work on the day.

Austin Peay was led offensive by Kelley and Garza. Kelley was 3-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Garza was 2-4 with three RBI's for the Lady Govs. Warden finished the day 2-3 with her solo homerun. As a team, APSU banged out 11 hits to the Otahkians six. Austin Peay's three errors, although costly at the time, ended up not beating them on the day.

The Otahkians got multi-hit days from Jennifer Cobin (2-4) and Eklund (2-3). Eklund is 4-7 in her last two games.

After winning two games yesterday, Southeast was denied its first three-game winning streak of the season with the loss today.

The Otahkians will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Eastern Illinois Panthers for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader at the Southeast Softball Complex.