Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
Late Rally Lifts Sam Houston
4/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2007
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team took a lead into the sixth inning of its series finale at Sam Houston State Thursday, but back-to-back home runs by the Bearkats gave Sam a 4-3 victory and a series sweep. The Bearkats won Game 2 Thursday, 1-0.
The losses dropped SFA's record to 19-32 on the season and 12-15 in Southland Conference play. The Ladyjacks will wrap up SLC play this weekend with a three-game series at Northwestern State.
In Thursday's finale, SFA scored three unanswered runs to take a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Center fielder Benet Higgs led off the game with a single to right field, then moved to second on a groundout. Higgs scored when third baseman Briana Bishop singled to center field.
The Ladyjacks added two more runs in the third inning. Bishop hit a two-out single to left field, and first baseman Jessie Tullos homered in the next at-bat.
SFA starter Debra Boles made the early lead hold up through five innings. But Sam Houston scored a run in the fourth and took the lead with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Boles finished with four earned runs on five hits and a walk, as she fell to 0-4 on the season. Bishop went 3-for-3 in the game with an RBI and a run scored. Higgs was 2-for-4, scoring once.
In the first game Thursday, SFA was held to four hits and advanced just one runner past second base. The Bearkats scored a single run in the first inning, but it was enough to hold on for the win.
Bishop had two of the Ladyjacks' four hits -- including a double -- as she led the team with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate. Higgs and right fielder Kendal Harper added one hit apiece.
Freshman Ashley Wilburn (9-12) started on the slab for SFA. After giving up a run in the first, she scattered eight hits and a walk over six innings in taking the loss.
The Ladyjacks will be back in action Saturday, when they take on Northwestern State in a road doubleheader to open their last conference series of the season. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
-- SFA --
