Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana Tech
SFA Drops Pair Of Heartbreakers In Oxford
3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2008
OXFORD, Miss. - The Stephen F. Austin softball team dropped a pair of one-run games Friday after falling behind early in each contest on the first day of the Ole Miss Red and Blue Classic.
After spotting the Rebels three runs in the first four innings of Game 1, the Ladyjacks answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth but fell short in a 3-2 loss against host team Ole Miss.
Benet Higgs tripled to lead off the inning then scored on a single by Kendal Harper to make it a 3-1 game. Harper then stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. After Briana Bishop drew a walk, Harper scored on a wild pitch to bring the Ladyjacks to within a run of tying the score. Crystal Garcia, who pinch-ran for Bishop, moved to second on the play. But Ole Miss retired the next three batters in order, stranding Garcia at second.
Monika Covington allowed just one hit the rest of the way, but the Ladyjacks could muster just one themselves and only advanced one runner past first base.
Covington (7-2) finished with two earned runs on eight hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. Michele Huffman added a base knock for the Ladyjacks, giving them three hits total in the game.
In the nightcap against Louisiana Tech, SFA found itself down three runs after three innings and came back to tie the score in the seventh before dropping a 4-3 decision in the bottom half of the inning.
The Ladyjacks took advantage of a Techster error that allowed Moriah Davis to reach base and move to second with one out to start the fifth-inning rally. The next batter, Huffman, doubled, bringing Davis around to score. Monica Hirsch then chased Huffman home with a triple, but the Ladyjacks stranded Hirsch at third.
Ashley Struchtemeyer led off the seventh and moved to second base after reaching on an error. Davis followed her and was hit by a pitch. Huffman moved them both ahead a station with her sacrifice bunt, then Higgs brought Struchtemeyer home with a single, tying the score.
But Louisiana Tech used two singles and a pair of walks to push across the game-winner in the bottom half of the inning.
Kari Hugie (1-2) worked four-and-a-third innings in relief and was saddled with the loss. She allowed one earned run on three hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts. Freshman Lauren Luetge started the game and gave up three runs on six hits in two innings of action.
SFA (11-6) will continue play in the Red and Blue Classic Saturday when the Ladyjacks take on Troy and Jacksonville State in back-to-back games. The first is set for an 11 a.m. start, with the second scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
-- SFA --
