Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls
Nicholls Comeback Spoils Senior Day
5/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Nicholls rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to complete its comeback from a 5-0 deficit and defeat Stephen F. Austin, 6-5, Sunday at SFA Field in the season finale for both teams. The win gives the Colonels the series victory after splitting with SFA in Saturday's doubleheader.
With the loss, the Ladyjacks finish the 2011 campaign at 14-36 overall with a 9-21 mark in Southland Conference play. Nicholls wrapped up its season with a 15-37 record and a 7-22 conference showing.
The Ladyjacks got out to a strong start with a five-run third inning. Elizabeth Arana led off with a home run, then Bethany Brown delivered a two-out bomb to make it a 3-0 game. Lacy Liles followed with a single through the left side and Charlotte Singleton drew a walk. Krista Hallmark then reached on a throwing error that allowed both Liles and Singleton to score.
Nicholls began to chip away in the top of the fourth. A leadoff double by Lauren Batiz followed by a four-pitch walk to Tori Lay got SFA starter Monika Covington out of the circle with Lauren Luetge coming on in relief. One out later, a passed ball put two runners in scoring position, then Lauren Jolivette singled to center. One run scored on the play, but center field Amber Price gunned down Katie Holmes at the plate for the third out of the inning.
The Colonels put up another unearned run in the fifth. Megan Gaspard reached on an error to lead off the inning. A ground-out and a wild pitch put her at third, then a fielding error allowed her to score, making it a 5-2 game.
Nicholls took the lead in the sixth, thanks to three hits, two walks and a hit batter. The Colonels got back-to-back singles from Lay and Laine Strickland, then Brittany Marcet was hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count to load the bases with no outs. Jolivette drew a walk to push a run across. One out later, Whitney Roan lifted a sacrifice fly to Price in center for the second out. Another walk reloaded the bases, then Mandy Granger singled to center, scoring two runs and giving Nicholls a 6-5 lead.
The Ladyjacks loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a Nicholls fielding error and consecutive singles by Arana and Luetge. But the Colonels got a fly ball and a ground-out to end the threat. SFA went down in order in the seventh.
Luetge (0-3) was charged with the loss after four innings in relief. She allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits and a pair of walks with one strikeout. Covington went three innings in the no-decision, allowing one unearned run on three hits and three walks with a strikeout. Both players were recognized in a pregame ceremony as SFA's lone seniors.
Arana and Luetge each went 3-for-4 to lead SFA at the plate as the Ladyjacks collected nine hits on the day. Brown was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Liles went 1-for-4.
-- SFA --
