Stephen F. Austin
Central Arkansas
Bears Knock Off SFA
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 24, 2010
CONWAY, Ark. - Central Arkansas scored seven runs in its last three at-bats to take an 8-2 win over Stephen F. Austin Saturday in the opening contest of their three-game Southland Conference series. The Bears held SFA to just four hits, while UCA got to Ladyjack starter Monika Covington for a season-high 13 base knocks.
The loss moves SFA to 24-14 on the season and 16-6 in Southland play, while the Bears improve to 20-27 overall with an 8-14 record against the league.
Kasey Britt got the Bears on the board with a two-out home run in the bottom of the first inning. The Ladyjacks answered in the top of the second when Briana Bishop led off with a homer to center field.
The teams combined for just one hit over the next two innings as neither squad could score. But Central Arkansas' Melanie Bryant homered to lead off the fourth, starting a three-hit, two-run inning for the Bears. Lindsey Barsoum would later reach on a fielder's choice and eventually score from third on a double steal to give UCA a 3-1 lead.
SFA stranded Kayla Gutowski after a leadoff single to start the fifth, and the Bears came back with three more runs in the bottom half. After two straight singles to start the frame, Britt rapped a two-run double to right and took third on a throwing error. She would score when Bryant singled up the middle in the next at-bat.
The Ladyjacks went down in order in the sixth, and UCA tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Sarah Garcia led off with a home run off Kendal Harper's glove in center field. A few at-bats later, Melissa Bryant chased a Candice Gauntt double with an RBI single to give the Bears an 8-1 advantage.
Jessica Arana led off the seventh with a home run to set the final score. The Ladyjacks would eventually get a two-out single from Ashley Struchtemeyer, and Brittany Caruthers drew a walk, but both runners were left stranded to end the game.
Covington (11-8) was charged with seven earned runs on 13 hits and a walk. She struck out five, while allowing more than 10 hits for just the fourth time this season. Her previous season-high was the 11 she gave up against UAB on the season's opening weekend.
The series will wrap up Sunday with a doubleheader, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
-- SFA --
