Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
Texas State Nips SFA In Extra Innings
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin tied the score with a home run in the bottom of the seventh, but came up a run short in the Ladyjacks' 2-1 loss to Texas State Sunday in the finale of their three-game series.
SFA moves to 30-18 on the season and maintains its hold on second place in the Southland Conference with a 16-7 league mark. The SLC-leading Bobcats improved to 30-15 overall and 20-4 in conference action, despite dropping their first league series of the year. SFA swept Saturday's series-opening doubleheader to ensure a win in the three-game set.
Sunday, SFA played from behind the entire game after Texas State used two hits and an SFA error to post a run in the top of the second. Bobcats starter Ragan Blake protected the lead by holding the Ladyjacks to one hit through three innings.
SFA got to Blake with two hits in the fourth - a base knock up the middle by sophomore Briana Bishop and an infield single by junior Moriah Davis - but the Ladyjacks stranded three runners with an inning-ending strikeout.
The Ladyjacks threatened again in the fifth, when freshman Monica Hirsch led off with a double down the left-field line. Two batters later, sophomore Kendal Harper bunted her way on, but when the throw from third caromed off Harper's back and toward the Texas State dugout, Hirsch was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on the play.
SFA left another runner stranded in the sixth and was down to its final three outs when junior catcher Kim Daley led off with a solo homer over the center field wall to tie the score. It was Daley's sixth home run of the season and gave SFA new life.
The Bobcats put up a run in the eighth on back-to-back doubles to take a 2-1 lead, and the Ladyjacks couldn't answer in the bottom half.
Senior first baseman Jessica Tullos gave SFA a runner when she hit a one-out single to right field. The next batter, Bishop, walked to move Tullos into scoring position. She took third when freshman Ashley Struchtemeyer beat out a double-play attempt for a fielder's choice, but Blake got a game-ending strikeout to seal the win.
Freshman Monika Covington started and pitched all eight innings for SFA. She gave up two earned runs on nine hits with 12 strikeouts in falling to 15-9 on the season.
Bishop and Daley led SFA at the plate Sunday with two hits apiece. Tullos was 1-for-3 in the finale and batted .444 in the three-game series, posting four hits, including a home run, double, four RBI and three runs scored.
The Ladyjacks are scheduled to play a non-conference doubleheader against Houston Baptist on Wednesday. The twin billing against the Huskies is set for a 5 p.m. start from Hoya Field.
-- SFA --
