Stephen F. Austin
Maine
Softball Splits On First Day Of Under Armour Inv.
3/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2013
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks softball team split a pair of games on the opening day of the USF Under Armour Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Sports Complex. SFA (5-10) defeated Maine 5-1 in the first game of the morning before falling to Central Connecticut, 8-4.
SFA will be back in action tomorrow for two more games, beginning with Western Michigan at 9 a.m. followed by Georgia State at 11:15 a.m.
Game 1: SFA 5-Maine 1
Offensively SFA (5-9) took advantage of four Maine (1-4) errors with four of their five runs being unearned. Junior first baseman Cadie Weaver led the Ladyjacks with two hits.
SFA scored the game's first run in the opening inning on an RBI ground-rule double to right field from sophomore transfer catcher Shalie Day, scoring Weaver from second base. The RBI from Day was her first of the season.
Maine responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by designated hitter Jean Stevens, her second of the season, to tie the contest 1-1.
After both teams went scoreless over the next three innings, the Ladyjacks broke the game open with a three-run spot in the sixth inning. The Ladyjacks broke the 1-1 tie with three unearned runs on two Maine errors. SFA pinch runner Kaneisha Gray scored the go-ahead run on a two-out error by second baseman Kristen Koslosky.
One batter later, freshman outfielder Alisa Hamilton hit a run-scoring double to left-center field to plate Nicole Wooten and then scored on a bad throw from Maine catcher EmJ Fogel while trying to advance to third base.
SFA tacked on another run in the seventh inning on the Black Bears fourth error of the afternoon, this time an errant throw by starting pitcher Beth Spoehr that allowed pinch-runner Brittany Lee to score the fifth and final run of the game.
Game 2: Central Connecticut 8-SFA 4
SFA starting pitcher Angela White fell to 0-7 on the season allowing all eight runs over six innings but only two of which were earned. The senior hurler allowed nine hits, walked one and struck out three.
The big blow of the game came in the fifth inning when White had an opportunity to get out of a jam with the game tied 3-3, however, she mishandled a comebacker by Evie Rentzel to loaded the bases. One batter later sophomore outfielder Kat Malcolm cranked a three-run home run over the right field fence to give the Blue Devils a 6-3 lead. Two batters later CCSU used the long ball again to increase their lead to 8-3 on a two-run homer off the bat of Hannah Cooper.
The Ladyjacks were led offensively by Day, who went 3-for-3 at the plate and had two RBI's. CCSU's Jordan Tingley earned her first of the season victory in the circle, allowing three earned runs on eights hits while striking out three and walking two.
-SFA-
