Stephen F. Austin
S'eastern La.
Ladyjack Comeback Falls Short
4/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2009
HAMMOND, La. - Stephen F. Austin banged out 15 hits in Sunday's series finale at Southeastern Louisiana. But the Ladyjacks found themselves chasing a big Lion lead early in the game, and SFA's comeback bid wound up a run short in a 9-8 loss.
The defeat moves the Ladyjacks' record to 19-21 on the season, while their Southland Conference mark is evened at 9-9.
SFA outscored the Lions, 5-1, over the final four innings, but even the Ladyjacks' 15-10 advantage in hits couldn't overcome the eight runs Southeastern (16-20, 5-13 SLC) put up in the second.
SFA jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Kendal Harper led off the game with a double to right-center, then moved to third on a single through the left side by Crystal Garcia. Garcia then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Kim Daley came through with an RBI single to center field and moved to second on the play.
After a pop-up on the infield, Karissa Jones singled to left field. Garcia scored on the play, and Daley came around on a fielding error that allowed Jones to take second. The 3-0 lead chased Southeastern starter Catherine Gunther from the circle in favor of Katelyn Thomason. Thomason retired the next two batters to escape further damage.
The Lions went quietly in the bottom half, but put up eight runs in the second inning. Five of their first six batters reached base, and Southeastern scored six unearned runs, thanks to a pair of SFA errors. Four of the Lions' six hits in the frame went for extra bases, as they took an 8-3 lead.
Garcia and Daley led off the third with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Krista Hallmark, but both runners were stranded.
The Ladyjacks had a similar start to the fourth inning. Sabrina Johnston and Jessica Arana led off with base knocks. After Candise Juarez came in to run for Johnston, Malina Meng moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. This time, Harper came through with a base hit through the left side, scoring Juarez to make it a four-run game. Harper stole second, but the inning ended on consecutive ground-outs.
Meanwhile, SFA starter Lauren Luetge retired nine of the next 10 batters she faced after the Lions' big inning. Her lineup would give her some more support in the sixth inning.
Johnston led off the Ladyjack sixth with a triple to center field. She scored on Arana's base hit up the middle. Arana moved to second on a sac bunt by Meng, then took third on a single through the left side by Harper. Harper swiped second to give SFA two runners in scoring position with one out.
Garcia then singled to left, scoring Arana and moving Harper to third. The tying run moved to second in the person of Garcia when Daley grounded out to third, but Southeastern got out of the inning on a pop-up.
Luetge retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the sixth, but Southeastern extended its lead to 9-6 with a single, followed by an SFA throwing error. The next batter rapped a base hit up the middle, putting runners at first and third and prompting Luetge to be replaced by Monika Covington. Covington averted further damage with a ground-out.
Jones led off SFA's final half-inning at the plate with a double to left-center. She was lifted for pinch-runner Michele Huffman. After a fly ball to center for the first out, Johnston came through with a two-run homer to right-center that brought the Ladyjacks to within a run of tying the score. But the game ended on a pair of ground balls.
Luetge (7-9) worked five-and-two-thirds innings. Only two of the nine runs she was charged with were earned, as Luetge gave up 10 hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
At the plate, Harper, Garcia and Johnston each went 3-for-4. Harper added an RBI, scored a run and stole two bases. Likewise, Garcia drove in a run and scored one herself, along with stealing a base. Johnston scored twice and drove in a pair on her second home run of the season. Daley, Jones and Arana each went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
SFA's next scheduled game is a non-conference clash with Centenary College Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Ladyjacks will follow that up with a weekend SLC series against Central Arkansas as part of their longest home stand of the season.
-- SFA --
