Stephen F. Austin
Alcorn State
SFA Breaks Skid
3/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 4, 2007
OXFORD, Miss. - Heather Hebert went 3-for-4 with two RBI as Stephen F. Austin snapped a 14-game losing streak Sunday with a 7-3 win over Alcorn State on the final day of the Ole Miss Red and Blue Classic. The win improves SFA's record to 4-16 on the year.
Benet Higgs led off the game with a double to left-center, and Michele Huffman followed with a bunt single. The next batter, Crystal Dahlquist, was hit by a pitch to load the bases, then Jessica Tullos drew a walk to force Higgs home. After Briana Bishop reached base on a fielder's choice, Hebert drove in two runs with a single up the middle. Bishop then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kim Daley.
Given an early cushion to work with, freshman pitcher Ashley Wilburn mowed down the Alcorn State lineup, shutting out the Braves through the first four innings. She allowed just one hit and two base runners through four innings. Alcorn State took advantage of a pair of Ladyjack errors in the fifth inning and scored three unearned runs, but SFA had already insured itself with a run apiece in the second, third and fifth innings.
Kendal Harper scored SFA's second run when she reached on an error then scored two batters later on a ground-out by Huffman. In the Ladyjack third, Bishop drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a single by Hebert, then stole third. She scored on a passed ball to put SFA ahead, 6-0. The Ladyjacks' run in the fifth came on another miscue between pitcher and catcher, this one a passed ball. And, just like the first, it was set up by an Hebert single. The second baseman's third base hit of the game moved Tullos to third one at-bat before she came home on the errant delivery.
SFA would not score again, but the seven runs would be more than enough. After Alcorn's three-run fifth, the Braves went without a base hit in the last two innings. Wilburn (3-9) allowed just three hits and struck out seven.
The Ladyjacks will be back on the field Saturday, March, 10, when they open Southland Conference play with a three-game series at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. SFA will play a doubleheader against the Islanders Saturday and finish the weekend with a single game on Sunday.
-- SFA --
