Stephen F. Austin
N'western St.
SFA Completes Sweep
3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2009
NATCHTOCHES, La. - Stephen F. Austin blasted four home runs, and Monika Covington tied a season-high with 13 strikeouts Sunday, as the Ladyjacks took a 6-2 win against Northwestern State, completing a sweep of their three-game Southland Conference series against the Demons.
The win runs SFA's season-best winning streak to four games and improves the Ladyjacks to 6-11 on the season with a 4-2 record in SLC action.
In the bottom of the first, Northwestern scored its first run of the series and collected just its second base hit in the three-game set. The Demons had been outscored, 21-0, with one hit combined in Saturday's doubleheader.
The Ladyjacks quickly answered. After Ashley Struchtemeyer was hit by a pitch to lead off the second, senior Kim Daley launched a two-run homer to left field, putting SFA in the lead.
Daley went deep again in the sixth, this time leading off the inning with a long ball to center field that gave the Ladyjacks a 3-1 advantage and started a homer rally. After Jessica Arana drew a walk, Sabrina Johnston came through with a pinch-hit home run to left field. Kayla Gutowski sent one over the wall in center field two at-bats later to stake SFA to a 6-1 lead. All four of Gutowski's hits in the series went for extra bases, as she blasted three doubles on Saturday.
The Demons answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn't close the gap, as Covington struck out the side in each of the last two innings.
She improved her record to 5-6 by scattering four hits and three walks over seven innings, allowing two earned runs. The 13 strikeouts she posted Sunday are the most she's recorded in regulation this season, tying with her total from Wednesday's 10-inning verdict at Sam Houston State.
The Ladyjacks take a break from Southland Conference action this week. SFA will return to the diamond Wednesday for a doubleheader at North Texas with the first game set to begin at 2 p.m. This weekend, the Ladyjacks will play in the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational.
-- SFA --
