FLORENCE, Ala. (May 3, 2024) – The University of North Alabama softball team hosted Austin Peay on Friday for the final series of the regular season, splitting the first two games with a 4-1 loss in the opener and a dominant 8-1 win to level the series in Florence.
The series remains up for grabs with the regular season finale set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
Both UNA and Austin Peay have much to play for tomorrow, as the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Tournament looms next week. The Lions are already in the tournament, but are one of five teams still battling for a top four seed. The top eight seeds make the tournament, but the top four receive a first round bye and avoid the single elimination round. Seven teams have clinched a guaranteed tournament spot.
Meanwhile, Austin Peay is one of two teams still battling for the eighth and final tournament spot. The Govs must win and need a loss from Kennesaw State to avoid elimination. If this happens, the final seed will be determined by tiebreakers and will not be determined until regular season play concludes. Austin Peay and Kennesaw State did not play in the regular season.
Stetson, Bellarmine and Lipscomb were all eliminated from postseason contention with losses today.
The Lions improve to 34-16 overall and 15-8 in the ASUN, currently sitting fourth in the standings. EKU has clinched the top seed, while North Florida (16-7), Central Arkansas (14-7), UNA (15-8), FGCU (15-8) and Jacksonville (14-9) are competing for the No. 2-6 seeds. Queens is locked into the No. 7 seed at 11-12.
Austin Peay is now 22-28 overall and 7-16 in league play — one game back of Kennesaw State at 8-15. The Owls control their postseason destiny and can clinch the final seed with a win or a loss by Austin Peay.
Game 1 — Austin Peay 4, North Alabama 1
UNA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the series opener and held that lead for four innings, but a four-run rally in the seventh allowed Austin Peay to steal game one.
The Lions had six shutout innings from junior Alivia Wilken, but the Govs cracked the code with four hits in the seventh. The four run inning snapped a 19-inning shutout streak for Wilken, who entered the weekend with a league-low 1.38 ERA to rank 18th in the nation.
UNA's lone run came in the second inning on a groundout by Raegan Clem, who scored senior Sidney Bevis who reached on a one-out single.
Five Lions tallied a hit in game one, including Bevis, reigning ASUN Player of the Week Haven Kirby, designated player Jaiden Farnetti, senior outfielder Felicity Frame and junior infielder Hailey Jones. Jones had the lone multi-base hit for UNA with a double. McKenzie Patterson stole a pair of bases, while Frame stole one.
Pitchers of Record
W – Ashley Martin (4-2)
L – Alivia Wilken (17-7)
S – None
Game 2 — North Alabama 8, Austin Peay 1
UNA unleashed any frustrations from the game one loss in the nightcap, exploding for eight runs on 12 hits in an 8-1 win.
Junior lefty Cassidy Duskin twirled another gem, limiting the Govs to just one run on four hits with two walks. Duskin worked with a lead the entire way, as her offense provided four runs in the first two frames and four more in the fifth inning.
The meat of the order — all infielders — provided seven of the 12 hits, including a three-hit day for third baseman Briley Dover and a pair of hits from Kirby and Jones. Farnetti also had a two-hit day, while Frame, Bevis and Patterson added one each.
Bevis once again started the scoring, batting in the two spot and reaching on a one-out single. Jones and Dover followed with singles to load the bags. Kirby took advantage, scoring Bevis on a sacrifice fly.
The Govs got one on Duskin in the second inning to tie it, but that tie was erased by a three-run inning started by a lead-off single from Farnetti. Patterson and Frame bunted her over to third, then Jones singled her home. Clem and Bevis were hit by pitches to load the bases, allowing Dover to hit a two-RBI single and make it 4-1. She later stole second, but was stranded.
The 4-1 lead stuck until the fifth, as UNA threated to end things early with a four-run inning. Dover and Kirby had back-to-back hits, with Kirby's double scoring Dover from first. Farnetti followed with a double after Lillyanna Cartee moved Kirby further into scoring position. Patterson and Frame also had RBI singles.
The Lions turned a pair of double plays over the last two innings, including a 6-4-3 double play to end the game. Prior to that, Farnetti laid out for a diving snag for the first out of the seventh inning.
Pitchers of Record
W – Cassidy Duskin (12-8)
L – Samantha Miener (6-12)
S – None
COMING UP NEXT
The series and regular season conclude Saturday at 1 p.m. with senior day. The senior day ceremony will begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch, while a special graduation commencement will take place after the game.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
