Stephen F. Austin
Southern Miss
SFA Wins in Extra Innings
2/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 11, 2007
WACO, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team wrapped up its opening weekend of action Sunday with an 8-7 extra-inning win over Southern Miss in the Baylor Getterman Classic. The win was SFA's second against the Golden Eagles in the tournament and also marked the Ladyjacks' second straight extra-inning victory. SFA (3-2) knocked off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 9-5, in nine innings Saturday night.
Sophomore Kari Hugie pitched four innings of scoreless relief, giving up just one run, to take the decision, her first of the year. The Ladyjacks won the game for Hugie with a run in the top of the eighth. SFA opened the inning with Chelsea Carr on second base, as part of the tiebreaking procedure. Sydney Davis bunted Carr over to third. The next batter, Benet Higgs, lined out to short, but Carr scored on the play, thanks to a poor throw by the Southern Miss shortstop.
The Golden Eagles began the bottom half of the inning with a runner on second, but Hugie induced two ground-outs and a pop-up to secure the win. Hugie entered the game in the fifth to relieve starter Ashley Wilburn. Wilburn allowed seven runs on five hits and six walks. Southern Miss touched her for five runs in the fourth to tie the score at seven.
SFA had taken the lead in the third with a five-run inning of its own. The Ladyjacks opened the frame with two singles and a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch moved everyone up a station, then Jessica Tullos drew a walk to load the sacks again. Southern Miss forced an out at the plate on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat, then Briana Bishop smoked a two-RBI double to right field to give SFA a 3-2 advantage. Heather Hebert singled home the next run, and Bishop scored when the Southern Miss shortstop's throw was wild on a fielder's choice off Wilburn's bat. The rally put SFA up, 5-3.
The Ladyjacks tacked on two more runs in the fourth. Higgs led off with a double down the right field line, then advanced to third on a bunt single by Michele Huffman. Higgs was cut down trying to score on the back end of a double steal, but Huffman took third on the play and scored when Tullos singled to center field. Crystal Garcia pinch ran for Tullos and stole second. She came around to score when Bishop singled up the middle.
Bishop finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI. Hebert, Huffman and Higgs recorded two hits apiece with Kendal Harper and Tullos each hitting safely once.
The Ladyjacks will be back in action Tuesday, when they travel to Ruston, La., to take on Louisiana Tech. SFA will play a twin bill against the Lady Techsters, set to begin at 3 p.m.
-- SFA --
