Stephen F. Austin
Northwestern State
SFA Halves Doubleheader With Demons
5/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 3, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team tallied 15 base hits Saturday but split their series-opening doubleheader with Northwestern State. The Demons took a 2-1 win in eight innings in Game 1 before SFA rallied for an 8-3 win behind a pair of two-run home runs in the second game.
The split moved SFA (33-21) to 18-10 in the Southland Conference and dropped the Ladyjacks to fourth place in the league standings. SFA enters the final day of the regular season a half-game behind UTSA and UT-Arlington, who are tied for second in the SLC with identical 19-10 league records.
SFA scratched first in the opening game, but Northwestern tied the score at one in the fourth inning and pushed across a run in the top of the eighth to win it.
Senior Jessica Tullos led off the second inning with a double to right-center, then moved to third on a ground-out two at-bats later. She came home to give the Ladyjacks the lead on a single through the left side by junior Moriah Davis.
The Demons tied the count on a solo homer in the fourth inning, and SFA stranded seven baserunners over the final five innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Northwestern used two hits and a Ladyjack error to set the final score with one run in its half of the eighth inning.
Tullos was 2-for-3 in the opener, leading SFA at the plate. Junior catcher Kim Daley added a double, and Benet Higgs, Kari Hugie, Briana Bishop, Ashley Struchtemeyer and Davis posted a hit apiece.
Freshman Monika Covington worked all eight innings in the circle for SFA. She scattered nine hits, allowed one earned run and struck out 14 in falling to 17-11 on the season.
The Ladyjacks posted fewer hits in the second game, but got more value from their contact, collecting eight RBI on seven base knocks. Bishop and Daley led the way, as each player lifted a two-run shot out of the yard. Bishop's came in the fourth inning, turning a 1-0 Demon advantage into a 2-1 SFA lead. She hit a 1-0 offering deep into the trees beyond the left-center-field wall, plating Higgs, who had doubled two at-bats prior.
Daley's seventh homer of the year went out in almost the exact same spot an inning later. She chased home Candise Juares, who had walked to lead off the inning, to give SFA a 4-1 edge.
The Ladyjacks put the game away with four more runs in the sixth inning, all four coming with two outs. Bishop reached on a throwing error and was lifted for pinch-runner Michele Huffman. The next batter, Davis, drew a walk. After a fly ball to left for the second out, Hugie, SFA's starting pitcher in Game 2, doubled to left-center, scoring both runners. Following a Demon pitching change, pinch-runner Malina Meng took third on a wild pitch, then trotted home on Kim Daley's second extra-base hit of the game, this one a double to left-center. The next batter, freshman Monica Hirsch, laced a single into left field scoring Daley from second and giving SFA an 8-1 lead.
The Demons scratched out a pair of runs in the top of the seventh before Hugie closed out the game with two straight pop-ups. She improved to 4-5 on the season after allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Daley finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead SFA at the plate. Hirsch, Kendal Harper, Higgs, Bishop and Hugie each added one base hit.
The Ladyjacks need a win in Sunday's finale and some help from other teams in the conference to improve their seeding for next week's SLC Tournament. SFA can finish as high as second with a win over the Demons, combined with a Sam Houston State victory over UTSA and a Central Arkansas win at UT-Arlington. The Mavericks took both games of their doubleheader against UCA Saturday, while Sam Houston and UTSA split their two-game set.
Sunday's series finale against Northwestern is set for a noon start at Hoya Field. Senior Jessica Tullos will be honored in a brief ceremony prior to team introductions.
-- SFA --
