Stephen F. Austin
Central Arkansas
Ladyjacks Sweep UCA
4/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2008
CONWAY, Ark. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team played late into the night on Saturday but came away with a doubleheader sweep that moved the Ladyjacks closer to a shot at the Southland Conference championship. SFA took an 8-4 extra-inning win in the opener then won Game 2, 5-1.
Combined with UTSA's loss to SLC-leading Texas State, SFA moved back into second place in the league standings with a 12-4 mark in conference play. The Ladyjacks are now 25-14 overall.
Saturday's opener was originally scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., but was pushed back to a 5 p.m. start to allow extra time for field preparation. A gameday decision moved the start time for Game 1 back to 6 p.m. Two hours, 28-minutes later, SFA had prevailed in a 10-inning marathon.
The Ladyjacks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, when Moriah Davis scored from third on an infield single by Briana Bishop. Davis had reached on a two-out single then moved to third on a base knock by Jessica Tullos.
But UCA answered with three runs on three hits in the bottom half to take a two-run lead.
The score stayed that way until the top if the sixth, when SFA tied it with a pair of runs on three hits. Kari Hugie led off the inning with a single to right field, then pinch runner Crystal Garcia moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kim Daley. Garcia took third on a single by Monica Hirsh, then Hirsch stole second to give the Ladyjacks two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Benet Higgs, lined out sharply to left field, but Kendal Harper brought both runners home with a single to right field.
While each team went scoreless over the next three innings, SFA saved its best performance at the plate for last, posting five of its 15 hits in a decisive five-run 10th. Davis began the inning on second base, per international tie-breaker rules and quickly moved to third, when Tullos beat out an infield single. Davis put SFA ahead when the next batter, Bishop brought her home on a bunt single. The Ladyjacks then loaded the bases when Ashley Struchtemeyer was hit by a pitch.
The next batter, Hugie, hit sharply up the middle. The ball deflected off the pitcher's glove and was fielded by the UCA second baseman who retired Hugie, but Tullos crossed the plate to give SFA a two-run advantage. Daley then doubled to center, bringing home Bishop. Hirsch plated Struchtemeyer with a single up the middle, then Michele Huffman brought Daley home on a base knock to center.
The Bears added a run in the bottom half but couldn't extend the game.
SFA ace Monika Covington started and worked all 10 innings. She allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits with 13 strikeouts. Covington improved to 13-7 with the victory.
Higgs, Harper, Tullos, Bishop, Daley and Hirsch each recorded two base hits with Harper and Bishop driving in two runs apiece.
SFA began Game 2 the same way it had the first. The Ladyjacks opened with a run in the first, and UCA answered with one of its own in the bottom half. But this time, SFA and freshman starter Lauren Luetge held the Bears in check the rest of the way.
UCA's lone run came on a lead-off homer. From there, Luetge allowed just three more base hits and struck out 12 batters, nearly half of the total number she faced to improve to 9-3 on the season.
Harper got things going in the first with a one-out single up the middle. She then stole second base and came around to score on a base hit to center field by Hugie.
The Ladyjacks broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with two runs on four hits. Daley led off with a double to left field. Crystal Garcia then bunted pinch runner Candise Juarez over to third, and Hirsch plated her with an RBI single. Hirsch then put herself at third on a stolen base and a passed ball, and Hugie brought her home two at-bats later with a two-out single to left.
With Luetge cruising, SFA added two more runs on a trio of hits in the top of the seventh, doing all its work with two out. Tullos singled through the left side with one out to move Hugie to second. After a strikeout, Struchtemeyer reached on a fielding error to load the bases. Davis brought Hugie home on an infield single, then Tullos scored on a wild pitch to set the final tally.
SFA outhit the Bears, 13-4, for the game, led by two hits apiece from Harper, Hugie, Tullos, Davis and Daley.
The Ladyjacks will finish their series with UCA Sunday. The game was originally scheduled for a noon start but will begin at 1 p.m.
-- SFA --
