Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston
SFA Rallies For Win
3/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 2, 2011
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NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Monika Covington held Sam Houston State to one run on four hits and got some late-inning support with a three-run triple from Lauren Luetge as SFA got a 3-1 win over the Bearkats Wednesday to salvage the final game of their Southland Conference-opening series.
Covington (1-9) got the collar in several hard-luck losses early in the season with five of her nine losses coming in games decided by two runs or fewer. She had suffered a 2-1 defeat against the Bearkats Tuesday in the series opener.
It looked like Covington would drop another one-run decision Wednesday as SFA went to the sixth inning down, 1-0. But Luetge changed that with a two-out triple over the head of Sam Houston center fielder Tori Benavidez, cleaning the bases.
The Ladyjacks (4-15, 1-2 SLC) had opened the inning with consecutive hits from Lacy Liles and Bethany Brown. Charlotte Singleton then reached on an error to load the bases with no out. Sam Houston pitcher Tomi Garrison then got Krista Hallmark to ground to third, and the Bearkats were able to cut Liles down at the plate. The next batter, Amber Price, popped up in foul territory on the left side, bringing Luetge to the plate.
The senior first baseman belted the second pitch she saw deep to center for her second hit of the day.
Covington then closed out the game in the seventh, getting two of the final three outs on strikes. She didn't allow an earned run in seven innings of work, walked three and struck out eight.
Sam Houston's only scoring came in the third, when Alyssa Coggins led off the inning with a bunt that was played into an error. She would steal second, then advance to third on a sacrifice bunt, eventually scoring on a base hit by Alex Survant.
The Bearkats followed with another hit and a single to load the bases with one out, but Covington escaped with a strikeout and a fly ball. She allowed just two hits the rest of the way.
SFA finished with eight base knocks as a team. Brown was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Hallmark, Cadie Weaver and Elizabeth Arana each hit safely once.
The Ladyjacks will continue Southland Conference play this weekend when they head to San Marcos for a three-game set with Texas State. The series opens Saturday with a doubleheader.
-- SFA --
