Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana-Monroe
SFA Drops Thriller to ULM in Extra Innings
3/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 7, 2012
Monroe, La. - The Stephen F. Austin softball team dropped a 5-4 decision to the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in eight innings in the front end of a home-and-home series at the ULM Softball Complex Wednesday night.
Angela White (3-5) went the distance for the fourth time this season in taking the loss. The Sherman native tossed eight innings, surrendering five runs (four earned), with nine walks and four strikeouts.
SFA (7-15) was lead at the plate by Cadie Weaver, who finished 2-for-4, and was the only Ladyjack with a multi-hit performance. Weaver accounted for a third of SFA's offense, which mustered just six hits off of Warhawk pitcher Samantha Hamby (3-2).
After three silent frames from both teams SFA got on the board in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Following a one out walk to Elizabeth Arana, Weaver tripled to right field to give the Ladyjacks their first run of the game. One batter later Weaver would cross the plate after a single up the middle from Jessica Arana.
ULM (12-7) would tie the game up with two of their own the next inning. With one out in the bottom of the fifth White loaded the bases for Warhawks, issuing three free passes, before surrendering a double down the left field line to Janel Salanoa to even the game up 2-2.
ULM would push for their first lead of the game in their next time up, but White and the Ladyjacks would escape a one out bases loaded situation before sending the game into extras an inning later.
SFA quickly reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Bethany Brown doubled to center field to score Faith Hoisager who singled to lead off the inning. The Ladyjacks would add one more two batters later after Elizabeth Arana singled to the right-center gap to plate Brown and put SFA up 4-2.
The Ladyjacks, who were just one out away from taking the win, were unable to stop the Warhawks in the bottom of the frame. With two outs and runners on second and third, a single to center field from Roxv Cassel would push both runners across. ULM sent eight different batters to the plate in the bottom of the eighth to score three runs to come from behind and win 5-4 over SFA in extra innings.
SFA, with the loss, closed out a six-game road stretch in the bayou state. The Ladyjacks were 2-4 in their time in Louisiana and will open a 15-game stretch back in the lone star state starting off with a two-game home series against McNeese to open up conference play this weekend.
-SFA-
