Stephen F. Austin
Florida State
'Noles Slip Past SFA
2/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 7, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team bounced back from a pair of one-hit, shutout losses on opening day to bang out eight hits and push across three runs Saturday against Florida State. But the Ladyjacks committed two errors in the bottom of the eighth inning, allowing the Seminoles to score twice and collect a 4-3 win in the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational.
With the loss, the Ladyjacks fall to 0-3 on the season and will play again later Saturday, after the field for the tournament semifinals is set.
SFA held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, after senior catcher Kim Daley singled through the left side of the infield with two outs, scoring Amber Price. Price started the inning on second base, per tie-breaker procedure.
Florida State began the bottom half with Ashley Stager on second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, then tied the score when Mallory Borden reached on a throwing error. Borden would take second on the miscue and eventually score the winning run on another throwing error by the SFA infield.
Sophomore Lauren Luetge started and went the distance for SFA. In 7.2 innings pitched, she allowed two earned runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
The Ladyjacks got on the board first, pushing a run across in the top of the third. After managing just one base-runner through its first two at-bats, SFA got a leadoff single up the middle by Karissa Jones to start the third. She was put out at second on a fielder's choice that allowed Michelle Huffman to reach safely. Huffman scored from first when the next batter, senior Benet Higgs, crushed a double to left field. Higgs was thrown out at third on the play. The next batter, junior Kendal Harper, reached on a bunt single, but the inning ended quietly on a ground-out.
The Seminoles answered with three hits and a run in the bottom half. Carly Wynn got a one-out single, then stole second to get into scoring position. The next batter, Monica Montez, rapped a base hit to right, but Harper threw her out at second, as she tried to stretch it to a double. Luetge got out of the inning three batters later on a ground-out.
The Seminoles put a runner on in each of the next three innings, including a one-out double in the fourth. But Luetge worked out of trouble and didn't allow a runner past second base.
Meanwhile, the Ladyjack got back on top with a run in the top of the fourth.
But Florida State used a lead-off single, a sac bunt and a two-out double to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh and send the game to extra innings.
Harper went 3-for-4 to lead SFA at the plate. Bishop, Daley, Jones, Higgs and Jessica Arana posted one hit each.
-- SFA --
