SFA Wraps Up SLC Slate in Natchitoches
4/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 27, 2007
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team will begin its last Southland Conference series of the regular season Saturday, when the Ladyjacks head to Natchitoches, La., to take on the Northwestern State Demons. The three-game set will kick off with a doubleheader, set to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the final game scheduled for a 1 p.m. start Sunday.
SFA enters the season-ending showdown eighth in the Southland Conference standings. The Ladyjacks are 12-15 in SLC action with a 19-32 season record. Northwestern State is currently one slot above SFA at seventh. The Demons bring a 24-27 overall mark and a 12-12 record in conference play to the series.
The Ladyjacks are coming off a rough mid-week series at Sam Houston State. SFA was swept for the first time in SLC play, as the Bearkats won the first game, 4-2, then took the last two games, 1-0, and 4-3, in a doubleheader Thursday. SFA held a 3-1 lead into the sixth inning of Game 3, but Sam Houston got back-to-back home runs to take the lead and, eventually, the win.
Third baseman Briana Bishop led SFA at the plate against the Bearkats. The freshman went 6-for-9 (.667) with a double, home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Center fielder Benet Higgs also had a solid series batting. She was 4-for-10 (.400) with two runs scored. First baseman Jessie Tullos had a home run and two RBI in the series.
Northwestern State hasn't played since taking a doubleheader sweep against Centenary last Wednesday. The Demons were swept in three games against Texas State on April 6-7, but have gone 4-3 since then. Their last SLC action was a 2-1 series loss against Texas-San Antonio. As a team, NSU bats .269, and the Demon pitchers have a season ERA of 3.65. Those marks rank fifth and sixth, respectively, among conference teams.
-- SFA --
