Stephen F. Austin
Southeastern La.
Lions Take Game 1
4/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 22, 2011
HAMMOND, La. - Southeastern Louisiana jumped out to a big lead early in Friday's game against Stephen F. Austin, and the Lions held on for a 9-5 win in the series opener. Game 2, originally scheduled for Friday night, has been pushed back to Saturday. It will start at 10 a.m. with the series finale to follow at noon.
SFA gave up five runs in the bottom of the first and spent the rest of the game chasing that lead. The Ladyjacks chipped away and trailed by just one, 6-5, going into the bottom of the sixth, but Southeastern put up three runs in that frame to secure the win.
The Ladyjacks fall to 11-31 on the year and 6-16 in Southland Conference play, while Southeastern Louisiana moves to 18-22 overall with an 8-11 mark in league action.
The Lions used three hits and an error to put up a five spot in the first inning. SFA starter Monika Covington was twice called for illegal pitches in the frame, both times leading to runs. Four of the five runs were unearned.
SFA got on the board with three runs in the third. Nicole Wooten reached on an error to lead off. She then stole second and scored on a base knock to center field by Elizabeth Arana. Arana took second on the play and would move to third when Lauren Luetge singled through the left side.
One out later, Bethany Brown fouled out down the right field line, but it was deep enough to score Arana from third. Luetge moved to second on the play, then scored on a single to right-center by Cadie Weaver.
The Ladyjacks made it a 5-4 game in the fifth, when Brown scored on a base hit to left by Weaver. Brown had walked and stolen second to get into scoring position. SFA would eventually load the bases with two out on a single by Lacy Liles and a walk by Charlotte Singleton, but Southeastern escaped the inning with a strikeout.
The Lions got a run back in the bottom half with a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, followed by a two-out, run-scoring hit from Katie Duhe.
SFA again cut the lead to one in the sixth on an RBI double by Amber Price. Luetge scored on the play after reaching on an error then moving to second on a passed ball. But Price was stranded at second as the inning ended on a fly ball and a ground-out.
Southeastern put the game away in the bottom of the sixth, though. Covington hit a batter with one out, then misplayed a sac bunt into a two-base error, leaving runners at second and third. The next batter, Meghan Gomez, homered to left, setting the final score.
Weaver went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead SFA at the plate. Arana was 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in a run. Luetge, Price and Liles each hit safely once.
Covington (5-17) worked all six innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and a walk with one strikeout.
-- SFA --
