Stephen F. Austin
Texas-Arlington
UTA Finishes Off Sweep
3/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 29, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - With two out and the tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh, Stephen F. Austin's Briana Bishop smashed a hard line drive toward the gap in left-center. But left fielder Kelsey Kaiser chased it down with an over-the-shoulder, running catch to close the book on a 3-2 win and a three-game series sweep by UT-Arlington Sunday at Hoya Field.
The loss extends SFA's current skid to five straight, tying the longest losing streak of the season for SFA (18-19, 8-7 Southland Conference). The Mavericks move to 14-17 on the season and 10-8 in SLC play with the series win.
For the third time in as many games, SFA drew first blood with a long ball, notching a run in the bottom of the second inning on Kim Daley's team-leading ninth home run of the season.
The lead was short-lived, though, as UTA pulled ahead with two runs in the top of the third. The Mavericks led off the inning with a hit batsman and an attempted sacrifice bunt that ended with both runners advancing safely. The pair moved up a station, when SFA catcher Kim Daley's attempted pick-off at first base bounced into right field. Ladyjack starter Monika Covington got the next batter on strikes, but after a walk loaded the bases, the Mavericks used a single and a sacrifice fly in consecutive at-bats to push two runs across.
The Ladyjacks tied the count in the bottom half on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Kayla Gutowski and Bishop.
With two outs in the fourth, UTA parlayed a first-and-third situation into the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, with the ensuing throw to second bouncing into center field. Charne Office trotted home from third on the play, and Courtney Zink went from first to third, but was stranded there when Covington escaped the inning on a strikeout.
Covington allowed just one baserunner and held the Mavs without a hit over the final three innings. SFA left runners on base in the fourth and fifth, but seemed primed to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh.
Crystal Garcia led off with a base knock up the middle. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kendal Harper, then took third when UTA shortstop Jamiee Stinson mis-played a hard-hit grounder off Gutowski's bat. That brought Bishop to the dish, setting up Kaiser's big defensive play to end the game.
Covington (12-10) was charged with two earned runs on four hits and four walks. The sophomore posted a new career-high for strikeouts in regulation with 15.
The Ladyjacks will be back in action on Saturday, April 4, when they open a three-game series at Southeastern Louisiana. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
-- SFA --
