Stephen F. Austin
Central Ark.
Ladyjacks Clobber UCA
4/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 10, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin pounded out 23 hits and muscled up for a total of six home runs on the way to a pair of run-rule-shortened victories over Central Arkansas. The Ladyjacks blasted three homers in each game, winning the first by a count of 10-0, and taking a 9-1 win in Game 2. Both contests were called following the sixth inning.
In addition to the strong showing at the plate, SFA starters Monika Covington and Lauren Luetge did not yield an earned run and combined to issue just one walk in 12 innings of work.
The doubleheader sweep moves the Ladyjacks to 22-21 on the season with an 11-9 mark in Southland Conference play. SFA has now won three straight and four of its last five games. With a win over UCA (20-22, 10-10), the `Jacks can wrap up their first SLC series sweep since taking three straight against McNeese State last month.
Ashley Struchtemeyer gave SFA its first lead with a solo homer in the second inning of Game 1. She took the 2-1 offering from Bears starter Holli Hill over the wall in left for her sixth home run of the season.
The Ladyjacks extended their lead to 4-0 in the third, when Briana Bishop lifted a home run to dead center, bringing home Kendal Harper and Crystal Garcia. Harper had singled and stolen two bases ahead of Garcia, who reached on a walk.
In the fifth inning, Struchtemeyer got a two-out single and was lifted for pinch-runner Candise Juarez. Juarez moved to third on a double to left field by Karissa Jones. Kari Hugie chased Jones with a base knock to shallow right, scoring Juarez. Jones came around to score on a fielding error, making it a 6-0 game.
The Bears' best chance to score came in the sixth. Paige Burke led off the inning with a double down the right-field line, and Kayla Hitchcock followed with a single, moving Burke to third. But Covington got the next batter on strikes, and Bishop made a heads-up play on a ground ball at third, catching Burke off the bag for the inning's second out. Covington ended the threat with a strikeout.
SFA ended the game in the bottom half with four runs on four hits. Harper led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. She would take third on a base knock by Garcia, then score when Kayla Gutowski laced a base hit through the left side of the infield. In the next at-bat, Bishop blasted the 0-1 pitch out of the park to set the final count with a three-run homer.
The multi-home run game is Bishop's second of the season and moved her into a tie with Daley for the team lead. Each player has 10 homers this year.
Covington (14-11) sprinkled five hits over six complete innings and didn't issue a walk in the game. She posted 10 strikeouts, marking her eighth double-digit strikeout performance of the season and second straight.
In Game 2, SFA used a five-run sixth inning that featured a pair of homers to turn a 4-1 lead into a 9-1 victory.
The Ladyjacks put up a run each in the first and second innings. Harper led off the game with an opposite-field single down the left-field line. She moved to second on a sacrifice by Garcia, then scored when Gutowski ripped a base knock through the left side. Bishop followed with a single, but SFA left two runners stranded.
In the second, the Ladyjacks took advantage of a UCA error to pad their lead. Amber Price reached on a fielding error with two outs, then Harper made the miscue hurt with a triple to the gap in left-center, scoring Price.
SFA put up two more runs in the third. Gutowski led off with a bomb to dead center, her fifth of the season. Bishop then drew a walk and moved to second two at-bats later on an infield single by Struchtemeyer. Juarez came on to run for Bishop, and both runners moved up a station when Jones lifted a fly ball to right. Kari Hugie then delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Juarez to give SFA a 4-0 lead.
The Ladyjacks left the bases loaded in the fourth, then saw Central Arkansas scratch out its first run of the day in the top of the sixth. The Bears used a pair of hits and an error to push across an unearned run and make it a 4-1 game.
But SFA snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback with a big inning in the bottom half. Harper led off with a single through the right side, then advanced when Garcia reached on a fielding error. Gutowski sacrificed them ahead with a bunt, then Harper scored on a failed pick-off following an attempted squeeze play. With Harper halfway down the third-base line and heading back to the bag, UCA catcher Burke threw behind her. But Harper reversed course and jarred the ball loose at the plate with a hard slide. Garcia moved to third on the play.
Bishop then brought Garcia home with a single to left-center. After Daley lined out to right on a hard-hit ball, Struchtemeyer belted a two-out, two-run homer to left, giving her seven long balls on the year, and putting SFA ahead, 8-1. That brought Jones to the plate. She was in the lineup because of a Game 1 injury to starting shortstop Jessica Arana, but she made the most of her opportunity, lifting a solo shot to left field to end the game.
Luetge scattered seven hits over six innings with one walk and five strikeouts. She moved to 8-9 on the season with the victory, her second in three starts.
In all, the Ladyjacks posted eight extra-base hits and recorded double-digit base knocks in consecutive games on the same day for just the second time this season. Harper went 5-for-7 to lead the way, followed by Struchtemeyer and Gutowski, who were each 4-for-7. Gutowski raised her Southland-leading batting average to .371. Bishop also went 4-for-7 in the two games and put up seven RBI on the day. That gives her 33 on the season, just three shy of overtaking Gutowski for the team lead.
The series will conclude Sunday with a single game set to begin at 1 p.m.
-- SFA --
