Stephen F. Austin
Mcneese State
SFA Knocks Off First-Place Cowgirls
3/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - SFA waited 26 games before finally playing a home game, but made it worth the wait and used a pair of third-inning home runs to get past first-place McNeese State 5-0 on Saturday at Hoya Field.
The Ladyjacks (13-14, 5-2 SLC) were playing their first game since defeating No. 17 Texas A&M and picked up their fifth consecutive SLC win. McNeese (12-16, 8-2 SLC) was coming off a conference sweep of UTSA last weekend and had won five straight league games of their own.
Monika Covington picked up her ninth win of the year, fanning 10 Cowgirls while throwing her 13th complete game of the season. She only allowed three hits on the night while walking four.
Kim Daley and Kari Hugie provided the majority of the offense, with each hitting two-run home runs in the third inning to chase Cowgirls' starter Bethany Stefinsky from the circle.
Daley reached all three times she came to the plate, collecting two hits, scoring two runs and driving in a pair. Hugie's home run was her first of the year, including her first RBI of the year.
The Ladyjacks got on the scoreboard first in the second, taking advantage of a Cowgirl error with an RBI-double by Ashley Struchtmeyer that scored Daley. One inning later SFA broke it open when Daley blasted her team-leading seventh home run of the season over the right-center field fence, scoring Briana Bishop as well. Struchtmeyer then followed with her second hit in as many at-bats before Hugie delivered her big blow.
That was all Covington needed as she held McNeese hitless through 4.1 innings before allowing back-to-back singles in the fifth. But that was the only real threat McNeese would put together as the sophomore went on to fan Elizabeth Morvant and get Lindsey Langner to ground out to keep the Cowgirls off the board.
SFA and McNeese continue their series on Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon.
-SFA-
