GAME 1 BOX SCORE  |  GAME 2 BOX SCORE

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A walk-off single from Paige Neely in the first game and a six-run sixth in the second game gave Austin Peay a doubleheader sweep of the Jacksonville State softball team on Saturday in Ohio Valley Conference play.

In the Gamecocks (23-24, 17-9 OVC) first action in 13 days, they couldn't get it going against the Lady Govs (18-28, 9-17 OVC) on the road. APSU edged JSU in a 3-2 opening game before rallying late to grab an 8-2 win in the nightcap.

Junior Krystal Ruth had three of the Gamecocks' eight hits in the doubleheader, going 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in the opener before a 1-for-4 nightcap saw her double and score a run. The twinbill sweep secures APSU of handing the Gamecocks just their second series loss of the season.

In that first game, the tw exchanged leads early, with Peay grabbing a run in the first before a two-run third saw JSU take its fiest lead of the afternoon. After freshman Sara Borders led things off with a single and Ruth followed with a double, senior Abbey Stepp walked to set up a bases-loaded situation for sophomore Hayden Crawford. The Sparkman, Ala., native came through with a two-run single up the middle, the highlight of her 2-for-2 game.

The Lady Govs tied it in the fourth on a run scoring double from Kayla Davidson, and then worked their magic in the seventh for the walk-off win. Neely's final hit in a 3-for-4 game was a one-out drive to right that scored Lauren Bradley after her one-out single started the rally.

Sophomore Tiffany Harbin (13-7) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings in the circle. She struck out 10 and walked just one in a tough-luck loss. Morgan Brewer (9-13) shut down the JSU offense for seven innings to earn the win. She limited the Gamecocks to two runs on five hits, while walking six and striking out a pair.

In the finale of the day, Peay grabbed a lead with a one-run third, only to watch JSU answer to tie in the top of the fourth. Ruth delivered again, this time with an RBI single that plated junior Kelci Johnston, a pinch runner that entered after a walk to freshman Shelby Holley.

Peay got a run in the fifth on a Katie Cozart single and the opened it up with a sixth inning that saw the Lady Govs score six runs on just two hits and two costly JSU errors.

Senior Sam Snow (7-6) suffered the loss for JSU, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five innings of work. Sophomore Savanna Hennings allowed three unearned runs without recording an out, while Harbin also surrendered an unearned run before getting the final three outs.

Lauren deCastro (6-6) went the distance for APSU, holding JSU to two runs on three hits.

JSU will look to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.