Despite an explosive offensive performance in their second game, Austin Peay State University’s softball team suffered its first Atlantic Sun Conference series loss of the season, dropping two of three games to Central Arkansas at Farris Field in Arkansas.
The series opener on Friday was a high-scoring affair, with the Governors (28-6, 6-3 ASUN) falling in a 16-15 heartbreaker. Brie Howard led the charge with a career-high five RBIs, including her first career grand slam. Kayleigh Roper paced the team with three hits, while Sam Leski cleared the bases with a crucial double in the fifth inning. Austin Peay’s offense produced its second-highest scoring game of the season, but Central Arkansas (17-19, 5-3 ASUN) capitalized on a late two-run single in the seventh inning to secure the walk-off win.
Austin Peay responded emphatically in Game 2 on Saturday, using an eight-run fourth inning to power a 9-1 run-rule victory in five innings. The Govs outhit UCA 12-3, with Kiley Hinton recording three hits and Ashley Diaz, Roper and Skylar Sheridan each launching home runs. Diaz’s first-inning homer was her first career extra-base hit, while Sheridan’s was her first since April 2023. Ashley Martin improved to 9-0 on the season, allowing just three hits and one run over five innings while striking out four.
The rubber match on Sunday saw the Bears take control early, ultimately winning 12-3 in five innings. The Govs’ offense briefly gained momentum in the fourth inning when Leski launched her ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot that cut the deficit to two. However, UCA responded with a seven-run bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. Martin, who had been dominant all season, took her first loss of the year (9-1), allowing seven earned runs over 2.1 innings.
With the series loss, Austin Peay dropped its first ASUN series of 2025 and fell to 3-5 all-time against Central Arkansas. The Governors will look to rebound as they return home for a three-game series against Bellarmine at Cathi Maynard Park, starting Friday, April 4, at 4 p.m.
