Stephen F. Austin
Weber State
Ladyjacks Split First Two Games In New Mexico
2/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2012
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The SFA Ladyjacks (2-5) split their first two games of the Troy Cox Classic on a day that started at 9:30 a.m. and didn’t see night’s end until deep into Saturday morning following a rain delay. SFA will be back in action Saturday morning against Nebraska at 10:30 a.m. (CT) followed by an afternoon affair against New Mexico State at 3 p.m.
Game 1: SFA 9, Colorado State 4
The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks used a five-run third inning, which included a Cadie Weaver grand slam, en route to scoring a season-high nine runs to put an end to a three-game losing streak and defeat Colorado State 9-4 Friday morning at the Troy Cox Classic hosted by New Mexico State.
SFA starting pitcher Carlie Thomas (1-3) earned her first victory of the season by pitching a complete seven innings while allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks. Thomas also tied her season-high with six strikeouts.
Colorado State actually jumped out in front in the early going, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run homer to left-center field by left fielder Kendal Butterfield off Thomas.
Thomas would settle down the next four innings, however, allowing no runs on three singles and one hit batter. More importantly she recorded three consecutive shutdown innings following frames in which the Ladyjacks put up runs in their half of the inning.
The Ladyjacks big third inning began with a fielding error on Rams third baseman Chelsea Biglow, mishandling a routine ground ball hit by Amber Price, which allowed her to reach first base. After a Faith Hoisager bunt single, Jessica Arana then drove home Price with an RBI bunt single of her own making the score 2-1.
After CSU starting pitcher Kelli Eubanks got Bethany Brown to pop out, she then walked Elizabeth Arana to load the bases for Weaver. The sophomore Splendora, Texas native took advantage of the opportunity by hitting an opposite field grand slam to right field that put SFA on top 5-2. Weaver’s blast was also SFA’s first home run of the season.
SFA continued to take advantage of extra outs when in the fourth inning Linda Linares reached and advanced to second base on a fielding error by right fielder Lyssa Roberts. One batter later, Price doubled home Linares to increase the Ladyjacks lead to 6-2.
After Price stole third base, Hoisager helped push across another SFA run on an infield single to shortstop to put the Ladyjacks comfortably in front 7-2.
The Ladyjacks tacked on one more run courtesy of a CSU error in the fifth on a misplay from shortstop Ashlie Ortega to make the score 8-2. SFA score their ninth and final run of the morning on a solo home run from Elizabeth Arana that cleared the center field wall.
The Rams did manage to score two more runs in their bottom half of the seventh on a Ortega two-run homer but by that point that game was well within reach for SFA.
Game 2: Weber State 13, SFA 5 (5 innings)
SFA was the victim of the big inning twice in their second game Saturday, allowing four runs in each of the second and fifth innings in a 13-3 loss to Weber State.
After scoring a run in the first inning to go up 1-0, Lyndsey Minnich delivered the big blow in the second inning with a grand slam off SFA starting pitcher Angela White, giving Weber State a commanding 5-0 lead.
Weber State would score one more run in the third and three runs in the fourth, eventually chasing White from the contest after allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits.
SFA did hit a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to extend the game on Elizabetha Arana’s second homer of the day and the first long ball of Linares’ career.
--SFA--
