Stephen F. Austin
N'western St.
Ladyjacks Rip Northwestern
2/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 28, 2009
NATCHITOCHES, La. - Stephen F. Austin picked up a doubleheader sweep against Northwestern State Saturday, collecting a pair of shutout victories while giving up just one hit in two games. The pair of wins gives the Ladyjacks three straight victories, their longest winning streak of the season.
With the sweep, SFA moves to 5-11 on the season and 3-2 in Southland Conference play. The series will conclude Sunday with one game, starting at noon.
In Game 1, SFA got a sterling performance in the circle by sophomore Monika Covington and took advantage of several Northwestern State fielding miscues for a 10-0, six-inning victory.
The Demons committed five errors, leading to six unearned runs for SFA. Meanwhile, Covington (4-6) allowed just one hit in six innings and recorded nine strikeouts to record the shutout.
Sophomore Monica Hirsch led off the game with a walk. The next batter, junior Kendal Harper, reached base on an error that allowed her to move all the way to third, with Hirsch scoring the game's first run on the play. Freshman Kayla Gutowski added to her RBI total when she brought Harper home on a sacrifice fly to right. Then junior Briana Bishop put an exclamation point on the inning with a home run to center field, her second of the season.
The Ladyjacks added to their lead in the second. Freshman Amber Price led off with a strikeout, but reached first on a dropped third strike. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hirsch and took third on a passed ball. Gutowski ripped a double to the gap in right-center, brining Price home for a 4-0 lead.
After SFA went quietly in the third, Price led off the top of the fourth with a home run to right-center to push the advantage to five runs.
In the fifth inning, senior Kim Daley reached base on an error to lead things off. Michele Huffman came in as a pinch-runner and stole second to get into scoring position. Junior Karissa Jones then bunted Huffman over to third. Two at-bats later, Huffman swiped home on a double steal with Jessica Arana taking second.
SFA put the game away with a two-out rally in the top of the sixth. Gutwoski got things started with a one-out double to left field. After a strikeout, pinch-runner Crystal Garcia scored on an Ashley Struchtemeyer single to center field. Daley was then hit by a pitch to move Struchtemeyer to second. Pinch-hitter Sabrina Johnston reached on error by the left fielder, allowing Daley and Struchtemeyer to score. The next batter, Arana, singled to center, bringing Johston in from second base for the game's final run.
Gutowski finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI. The Demons committed five errors in the game.
In the second game, sophomore Lauren Luetge worked six innings for her first career no-hitter. She allowed one walk, and one batter reached base on an error, as Luetge faced just two hitters over the minimum. She recorded six strikeouts in moving to 2-4 on the season.
The Ladyjacks gave her a two-run lead in the second inning, then exploded for nine runs in the final two innings to collect the run-rule-shortened 11-0 win.
Struchtemeyer put SFA on the board with a one-out homer to left-center in the second, and Daley chased her with a long ball to center, giving Luetge a two-run cushion.
The Ladyjacks didn't score again until putting up five runs on four hits and an error in the fifth inning. Jones got a leadoff walk, then pinch-runner Candise Juarez moved to second on a single by Arana. Hirsch loaded the bases when her fielder's choice was misplayed, then Harper drove in two runs with a single to center field.
The next batter, Gutowski, doubled to right-center scoring Hirsch from second and bringing Harper all the way around from first. After a ground-out and a fly ball that moved Gutowski to third, Struchtemeyer rapped a double to center field, bringing across the fifth run of the inning and giving SFA a 7-0 lead.
The Ladyjacks iced the game in the top of the sixth, thanks, in part to four Northwestern errors. Arana, Hirsch and Harper loaded the bases on three consecutive errors, then Arana scored on a fourth miscue, as Gutowski reached on a fielder's choice. The next batter, Bishop, singled through the right side of the infield, scoring Hirsch, and Struchtemeyer pushed the final two runs across with a base knock to left.
Struchtemeyer finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI. Harper was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. All three of Gutowski's hits in the doubleheader were doubles.
-- SFA --
