Stephen F. Austin
Texas Southern
Huge Fourth Inning Propels SFA To Victory
2/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin softball team made quick work of Texas Southern in the Ladyjacks' 2015 home opener on Wednesday afternoon, winning 15-3 in five innings at SFA Softball Field. The lopsided result moves SFA to 5-6 overall on the year.
The Ladyjacks used eight hits and a Lady Tiger error to post a season-high 11 runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Leading by just one, 4-3, heading into the frame, SFA had firm control of the game at 15-3 when the dust settled. In all, seven of the eight hits resulted in at least one RBI coming from six different Ladyjacks.
Lindsay Campbell started the hit parade with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alisa Hamilton and then opened the scoring on another single up the middle by Brittany Lewis. Heather Hollingsworth and Shalie Day earned back-to-back walks to load the bases for Taylor Fraccastoro. The freshman ripped a single through the infield to score two runs and give SFA a 7-3 lead.
The next four runs scored in the inning came off RBI singles. Katelyn Standley, Taylor Vick, Autumn Holloway and Hamilton all notched run-scoring hits to extend SFA's lead to 11-3. Still with just one out recorded, Lewis stepped to the plate with the bases juiced following Hamilton's RBI single to right. Lewis proceeded to clear the traffic jam on the base paths by crushing a ball deep to the gap in left center for a three-run double. The sophomore later touched home on a Lady Tiger error to cap the scoring.
The Lady Tigers (1-6) scored a run in the top half of the first inning but the Ladyjacks were quick to respond in the bottom half. After Hollingsworth drew a walk, Day sent a missile over the wall in left center for her second home run of the year. The two-run shot put SFA on top 2-1.
TSU put up two more runs in the third to regain the lead 3-2 but SFA was up to the task again in the bottom of the frame. Hollingsworth led off the inning with a perfectly executed bunt single and Day earned a four-pitch walk to put two ducks on the pond for Standley. The sophomore third baseman cleared the bases on a two-run double to left, handing the lead back to SFA, 4-3.
After the Ladyjacks' 11-run fourth inning extended the advantage to 15-3, TSU got one more chance in the fifth before the game was called.
Freshman Makayla Sikes (1-3) was solid on the mound for SFA, pitching a full five innings. She allowed just one earned run and two unearned runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two en route to picking up her first winning decision at the college level.
All nine Ladyjacks who started Wednesday's game notched a hit, while Lewis, Standley and Hamilton all recorded two. Lewis led the way with four RBI on the afternoon, Standley drove in three and Day and Fraccastoro each posted two RBI.
SFA will next be in action against Louisiana Tech next Wednesday, Feb. 25 in Ruston, Louisiana. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
-SFA-
