Box Score CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – SIUE softball completed the three-game sweep over Austin Peay Sunday with an 8-5 victory at Cheryl Holt Field.
SIUE improved its winning streak to 14 games. Haley Chambers won her 15th straight decision with five innings of relief. The Cougars improved to 31-8 overall and 14-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
"We had to work a little harder, but we hit the ball really well and came up with timely hits when we needed them," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery.
SIUE third baseman Alex McDavid drove home four runs, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning.
Brittany Toney led the Cougars with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate. Chelsea Yankolovich added three hits as SIUE outhit the Governors 14-7.
"She (Toney) was on fire. Alex keep clearing the bases so there really wasn't anybody on base for her," Montgomery said.
The Cougars opened the game with consecutive singles by Yankolovich, Taylor Tooley, and McDavid. After McDavid picked up the first RBI, the Cougars added RBIs from Toney and Samantha Stanicek to open up a 3-0 lead.
"Chelsea set the tone. I was real happy with how she hit," said Montgomery.
Yankolovich, the team's leadoff hitter, said she was looking for APSU starter Lauren de Castro (6-10) to try to get ahead in the count early as she had in her appearance Saturday against the Cougars.
"I hit the first pitch. I went in there thinking to swing," Yankolovich said.
Austin Peay, 12-21 overall and 3-12 in the OVC, scored three runs of its own in the first inning as de Castro homered for the Governors.
Yankolovich singled home Jordan LaFave in the second inning to put SIUE ahead 4-3. Austin Peay rallied for two runs in the third on back-to-back solo home runs by Laurel Burroughs and de Castro off SIUE starter Amanda Lambrecht.
Chambers, 17-2, entered the game in the third and struck out seven Austin Peay batters over the final five innings.
The Cougars regained the lead in the fourth on McDavid's home run. Rachel Coonrod also scored after she tripled to center field and scored on an error by APSU center fielder Jessica Ryan.
SIUE has five games next week beginning with a single road game at Evansville Thursday. The Cougars welcome OVC rivals Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State to Cougar Field for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
