Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
SFA Falls Just Short In Finale
5/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 9, 2010
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - On a weekend when Stephen F. Austin seemed to get a base knock every time it needed one, the Ladyjacks came up one big hit short of a sweep against Texas State. SFA put together a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday but left the tying run on base with a game-ending strikeout to fall, 8-7, in the regular-season finale.
The Ladyjacks had already secured at least a share of the Southland Conference championship and the No. 1 overall seed at next week's league tournament with two extra-inning wins against Texas State on Saturday. With Sunday's loss, SFA finishes conference play in a dead heat with the Bobcats, as each team sports an identical 20-10 record in league play. The Ladyjacks are 28-18 on the year, while Texas State moves to 25-24.
As the top two seeds, both teams will have first-round byes at next week's Southland Tournament in San Marcos, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday. The Southland championship is the first for SFA since joining the league in 1987-88. Texas State collected its third straight league title with Sunday's win.
The Ladyjacks clawed their way out of an 8-2 hole with a six-hit, five-run rally in their last at-bat. Kayla Gutowski, Ashley Struchtemeyer and Brittany Caruthers led off the inning with three straight singles to load the bases. Karissa Jones then scored Gutowski when she reached on a fielder's choice that cut down Caruthers at second.
Brandi Dutton then came through with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to bring home pinch runner Cheryl Boyett from third, making it an 8-4 game with two out and one runner on. Pinch hitter Jill Bussell got a base knock through the left side to keep the inning alive and bring Kendal Harper to the plate.
A day after winning Game 1 of the series with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, Harper delivered again, crushing an 0-2 offering from Chandler Hall over the wall in center to bring the Ladyjacks within a run of tying the score. The homer chased Hall from the circle for reliever Libby Dennis.
The next batter, Jessica Arana, singled to left, bringing another of Saturday's heroes to the plate. Briana Bishop, SFA's single-season and career home runs leader, hit the game-winning homer in the bottom of the eighth of Game 2 Saturday. Sunday, she got the chance to repeat her heroics but Dennis put her down on strikes to end the game.
Dennis picked up her second save of the season and Hall took the win to improve to 17-13 on the year.
SFA starter Monika Covington (14-10) had a loss hung on her despite giving up just three earned runs in seven innings. She was touched for eight hits and walked four, striking out three.
Texas State put three unearned runs on the board in the second inning. After Hall and Anna Hernandez drew consecutive two-out walks, Allyce Rother lifted a fly ball to the outfield that was dropped, allowing both runs to score. Rother wound up on second and would come home on a Kristina Tello single.
After going hitless through the first three innings, SFA got two of the runs back on a couple of hits in the fourth. Arana broke through with a one-out single up the middle, then Bishop reached on a fielder's choice for the second out. That brought up Gutowski, who homered deep over the wall in right field to make it a 3-2 game.
But Texas State answered quickly with a five-run effort in the top of the fifth. Lindsay Matt led off with a single, then Haley Lemons reached on an error when her bunt back at Covington was mishandled. McKenzie Baack followed with a single to left, loading the bases. Covington retired the next batter on strikes, but Leah Boatright doubled home two runs when she ripped a line drive off the wall in left field.
The next batter, Hall, singled to left, bringing in a run and leaving Boatright at third. She scored when Hernandez reached on an infield single. Covington hit the next batter to again load the bases, and Tello grounded out to bring home the fifth run of the inning and give Texas State just enough of a margin to weather SFA's late rally.
Gutowski was 2-for-2 with two RBI to lead the Ladyjacks at the plate. Arana went 2-for-4, and Bussell, Harper, Struchtemeyer and Caruthers all had one hit apiece.
SFA will open tournament play Thursday against an opponent to be determined. The official announcement of seeding and brackets will be made by the Southland Conference Sunday evening. Visit www.southland.org for details.
-- SFA --
