Stephen F. Austin
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UTEP
McNutt Era Opens With Sweep
2/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 8, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin showed its versatility on the diamond Friday night in Gay McNutt's debut as head coach. The Ladyjacks opened with a low-scoring duel and closed with a slugfest, but the end result was a two-game sweep of their season-opening doubleheader against UT-El Paso at Hoya Field.
SFA opened the two-game set with a 3-2 victory behind some timely hitting and a solid pitching effort by freshman Monika Covington. The Ladyjacks closed out the nightcap with a 12-8 victory by outslugging the Miners, who return the bulk of a lineup that finished last season ranked nationally in six offensive categories.
Covington started and went the distance in Game 1, recording eight strikeouts with one earned run on six hits. The rookie pitcher her way out of trouble a couple of times, starting in the first inning, when UTEP loaded the bases after Covington struck out the leadoff batter. But she caught two straight Miners looking to strand all three runners.
The Miners got on the board in the third, when the leadoff batter reached second on a mis-played pop-up then took third on a passed ball. She scored on a single up the middle.
SFA struck back in the bottom half of the inning. Kendal Harper led off with an infield single then moved to second on a bunt single by Benet Higgs. Michele Huffman and Briana Bishop then drew consecutive walks to plate Harper and tie the score. Higgs was cut down at the plate on a ground ball from Jessica Tullos, but Kari Hugie singled to left field two batters later bringing Huffman and pinch-runner Monica Hirsch home.
The Miners would add a run on a solo homer in the fifth inning, but Covington had all the support she needed and closed out the game for her first collegiate win.
UTEP drew first blood with a first-inning home run. SFA answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Hirsch got things started with a one-out single, then Tullos drew a walk. The next batter, Kim Daley, roped a two-out double to left-center, plating Hirsch. Then Ashley Struchtemeyer drove in two runs with a single down the right-field line to give SFA a 3-1 advantage.
The Miners chased SFA starter Lauren Luetge from the circle with another run in the top of the second and Kari Hugie came on in relief. The junior pitched the next five and two-thirds innings and allowed six runs on 11 hits - one in the second, two in the fourth and two in the seventh.
But the Ladyjacks more than matched UTEP's production. SFA broke the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the second with two more runs, again doing the damage with two outs. Hirsch again started the rally, this time with a two-out single to left field. Bishop walked behind her, as did Tullos, loading the bases. Daley came through again with a two-RBI single up the middle to give SFA a 5-3 lead.
After Hugie put up a zero in the top of the third, SFA was back on the attack. Harper led off with a bunt single, then Magen Butler sacrificed her over to second. Huffman reached on a fielder's choice, then Higgs took a pitch in the ribs to load the bases. Everybody moved up on a wild pitch, then Hirsch singled down the left-field line to score Huffman. The next batter, Bishop doubled to the wall, bringing in Hirsch and Higgs and putting SFA in charge with a 9-3 advantage.
After two UTEP runs in the fourth, SFA picked up three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Struchtemeyer laced a one-out home run to dead center field, and Harper chased her with an infield single. Moriah Davis pinch-hit and poked a single up the middle. Higgs then singled to left and took second base on a fielding error. Booth Harper and Davis scored on the play, pushing SFA's edge to 12-5.
Hugie got two outs in the top of the seventh before Covington returned to the slab to finish the game off.
SFA (2-0) will be back in action Tuesday, when the Ladyjacks head to Prairie View A&M for a doubleheader. The first game is set for a 4 p.m. start.
-- SFA --
