Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
SFA Splits With Colonels
5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 1, 2010
THIBODAUX, La. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team earned a split with Nicholls in its series-opening doubleheader against the Colonels Saturday. SFA took a 3-0 win in the opener, then dropped a 10-4 decision in Game 2.
The split moves the Ladyjacks to 25-17 on the year and 17-9 in Southland Conference action. Texas State split its twin bill against Northwestern State Saturday, keeping SFA just a game back of the first-place Bobcats in the conference standings.
SFA got a strong pitching performance from Monika Covington and a pair of RBI doubles from Bethany Brown for a 3-0 verdict in the opener.
SFA drew first blood in the third inning. Karissa Jones drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Amber Price. The next batter, Brown, doubled to left-center, bringing Jones home.
The Ladyjacks added to their lead in the next inning, when Briana Bishop led off with a home run.
SFA tacked on one last insurance run in the top of the seventh. Price drew a one-out walk, then stole second and took third on a wild pitch. She coasted home when Brown found the left-center gap again for her second double of the game.
Covington (12-9) sprinkled three hits and three walks over seven innings, while striking out nine. Nicholls failed to record an extra-base hit and advanced just one runner past second base.
Brown and Kendal Harper each had two hits to lead SFA. Bishop and Price had one base knock apiece.
SFA exceeded its run production in the second game, but couldn't keep pace with a Nicholls onslaught that featured two grand slams by Lyndsay Mesh in a 10-4 Colonels win.
The Ladyjacks got on the board with a run in the first inning. Brown led off with a walk, then moved to third on a double to right-center by Harper. Brown was tagged out at home on a fielder's choice by Jessica Arana, but Harper took third on the play. She scored when the next batter, Bishop, grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Arana out at second.
The Colonels answered immediately and emphatically. After a single, walk and a hit batsman, Mesh blasted a grand slam to center field, giving Nicholls a 4-1 lead. SFA starter Angela White got a strikeout and a pop-up to get out of the inning.
The score stayed that way until the fourth. Ashley Struchtemeyer led off with a single through the left side. Brittany Caruthers followed by reaching base on an error. Struchtemeyer was picked off, though, and Michele Huffman, who came in to run for Caruthers, took second on the play. One out later, Price brought Huffman home with an RBI single to make it a 4-2 game.
Nicholls regained its three-run margin in the fifth, when Kayla Watterson doubled to lead off the inning then scored on a double by Mandy Granger.
SFA got it back to two runs in the sixth, when Brown continued her big day at the plate with a two-out, solo home run. Harper then reached on an error, but the Colonels escaped the inning with a ground ball.
Nicholls then broke the game open in the bottom half. Watterson plated one run with an RBI single that left the bases loaded for Mesh again. She delivered once more, lifting the ball out of the park for her second grand slam of the game.
Gutowski got a one-out homer in the top of the seventh but SFA was unable to put together a last-ditch rally.
Harper, Gutowski and Struchtemeyer each hit safely twice to lead SFA. Brown, Caruthers and Price had a hit apiece.
White (12-8) was charged with 10 earned runs on 12 hits and three walks. She struck out six in six innings.
The Ladyjacks and Colonels will conclude the series Sunday with one game scheduled to start at noon.
-- SFA --
