Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
No. 4 SFA Splits At SLC Tourney
5/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2009
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Stephen F. Austin opened its defense of the 2008 Southland Conference Softball Tournament championship with a two-game split on the first day of action. The No. 4 Ladyjacks jumped out to a fast start with a dominant 7-0 win against fifth-seeded UT-Arlington, before falling, 3-1, in the second game against top seed Texas State.
The split moves SFA to 29-24 on the season with a 6-8 record in neutral-site contests. The Ladyjacks will continue SLC Tournament play Friday with a game against No. 6 Sam Houston State.
The Ladyjacks got a great pitching performance from sophomore Monika Covington and played outstanding defense to complete a three-hit shutout in the opener. The SFA bats were just as impressive, as the 'Jacks pounded out 11 hits, including three home runs, in the seven-run verdict.
The win against UTA is the Ladyjacks' first of the season. The Mavericks swept SFA in a three-game series to end the month of March. UTA out-hit the Ladyjacks, 16-14, in that series, but Thursday's game did not resemble any of the previous three meetings.
SFA got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the second. Ashley Struchtemeyer led off with a single to right then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kim Daley. Struchtemeyer advanced to third when Jessica Arana reached base on a fielding error. After a strikeout that would have been the third out of the inning, the Ladyjacks made the error hurt. Arana stole second, then Benet Higgs came through with an RBI single, scoring both Struchtemeyer and Arana. Higgs moved to second on the play. The UTA center fielder was charged with an error on the play.
The Mavericks put runners on base in each of the first four innings, including a lead-off single in the third. But SFA ended each of the first four frames on double plays, tying the record for fielding double plays in an SLC Tournament game.
Daley gave Covington an insurance run when she led off the fourth with a homer. The Ladyjacks added another hit and two walks in the inning but left two runners on. SFA would get those runs back in the next inning, though.
Kayla Gutowski led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. The next batter, Briana Bishop, doubled to right field, moving pinch-runner Candise Juarez to third. Then Struchtemeyer blasted a three-run homer to give SFA a 6-0 lead.
Bishop tacked on one last run with a record-breaking homer in the bottom of the sixth. The junior is already SFA's career home runs leader, but Thursday's bomb gives her 12 for the year, a new single-season record.
Covington allowed just one hit over the final two innings and struck out the side in the seventh to close the book on her ninth shutout of the season. She improved to 19-13 on the season, striking out seven batters along the way. Despite the three hits, three walks and a hit batsman, thanks to the four double plays, Covington faced just three batters over the minimum.
In the second game, SFA was done in by a pair of fourth-inning home runs by Texas State in a 3-1 defeat.
The Bobcats struck first with a run in the bottom of the second. McKenzie Baack led off with a double to left-center. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a single by Allyce Rother. Daley threw Rother out on an attempted steal, and SFA starter Lauren Luetge got out of the inning on a ground ball.
The Ladyjacks tied the score in the next frame. Kari Hugie drew a lead-off walk then took second on a ground ball by Higgs. The next batter, Kendal Harper, grounded out, allowing Hugie to move to third. After Crystal Garcia walked, Hugie scored on a wild pitch.
Texas State got back in front on a solo homer by Ryan Kos in the bottom of the fourth. That chased Luetge from the circle and brought Covington out of the bullpen. The first batter she faced, Rother, homered to give the Bobcats a 3-1 lead.
Covington then wrapped a strikeout and a ground ball around a walk to escape the inning without further damage. She retired the Bobcats in order in each of the next two frames, recording five of the six outs on strikes.
But SFA left six runners stranded over the final four innings and was unable to get back on the board.
Luetge (10-12) took the loss and was charged with two earned runs on five hits in three-and-a-third innings of work. Rother's homer was the only hit Covington allowed in two-and-two-thirds innings of relief. She issued one walk and recorded six strikeouts.
The Ladyjacks' next game pits SFA against No. 6 Sam Houston State. The contest is slated for an 11 a.m. start on Friday. Sam Houston lost to No. 3 UTSA, 5-4, in its first game on Thursday.
-- SFA --
