OXFORD, Ala. – Eighth-seeded SIUE softball opened the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a big win, eliminating No. 5 seed Austin Peay 8-3 at Choccolocco Park.
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The Cougars now move on to the six-team, double-elimination portion of the tournament with their next game set for 5:30 p.m. against No. 4 seed Southeast Missouri.
After dropping three straight games at Austin Peay to end the regular season this past weekend, SIUE clawed back in the league championship with an 11-hit effort on offense and a standout performance in the circle by Kelsey Ray.
Austin Peay, which ended its season with a 30-23 record, got off to a strong start off SIUE starter Lexi King. The Governors scored three runs in the first inning. Ray entered the game and allowed no runs on four hits over the final 6 2/3 innings.
SIUE's offense came alive in the third inning. Piper Montgomery singled to open the inning. After Kylie Lane pinch ran for her, Micah Arps singled to advance Lane to third base. Arps made it two runners in scoring position with a stolen base as King, a first team All-OVC performer, singled home Lane. After King stole second, Arps would score on a wild pitch. Lauren Yslava singled to left field to score King and make it 3-3.
Yslava, a second team All-OVC outfielder picked up her second RBI of the game in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that drove home Bailley Concatto, also a second team All-OVC honoree.
With a 4-3 lead, SIUE doubled its scoring in the sixth, plating four runs.
It was led off by a home run to right center field near the scoreboard from Aerin Talley, the first round-tripper of her collegiate career.
That bounced Austin Peay starter Jordan Benefiel from the game in favor of Harley Mullins, who surrendered three more runs to the Cougars highlighted by a two-run double by King.
SIUE kept Austin Peay's top three hitters in the lineup to no hits, including an 0-for-4 game for OVC Player of the Year Lexi Osowski.
Concatto, King and Montgomery each had two hits for the Cougars as SIUE outhit Austin Peay 11-6.
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