Stephen F. Austin
Nicholls State
Ladyjacks Split With Colonels to Start SLC Play
3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score
GM1: SFA 7, NICH 4
GM2: NICH 7, SFA 6 (8)
THIBODAUX, La. - The Stephen F. Austin softball team started the 2015 Southland Conference slate with a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon, winning game one 7-4 and dropping game two 7-6 in eight innings. The Ladyjacks are now 7-11 overall on the year and 1-1 in league action.
In the conference opener, SFA scored three runs in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and cap a 7-4 come-from-behind victory.
The Colonels (13-7, 1-1 SLC) struck first with two runs in the third inning but the Ladyjacks answered with four runs in the fifth. Taylor LeFlore drove in Katelyn Standley on a single, Alisa Hamilton sent LeFlore home on an RBI groundout and Heather Hollingsworth ripped a two-run triple to the gap in right-center to cap the scoring a give SFA the 4-2 lead.
Nicholls tied things up with a pair of runs in the sixth but again, SFA responded quickly. Brittany Lewis scored on a Colonel error and freshman Taylor Fraccastoro launched a two-run double to left-center with two away later in the frame to give the Ladyjacks a 7-4 cushion.
Freshman Callee Guffey (3-4) went the distance (7.0 IP) for SFA, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk. She struck out four in her third winning decision of the year.
In game two on Saturday, the Ladyjacks built a 6-2 lead after six and a half innings, but the Colonels tallied four in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, eventually winning in walk-off fashion in the eighth.
Fraccastoro highlighted the scoring for SFA after blasting a solo shot to center to lead off the sixth. In the seventh, Fraccastoro singled to start the frame and circled the bases with Standley after the SFA third baseman sent out a two-run home run to left.
The two long balls weren't enough, however, as Nicholls mounted a late rally.
Overall on the day, Autumn Holloway led SFA with a .500 average (3-for-6) while Hollingsworth and Fraccastoro also notched three hits and three RBI between the two games. Nine different Ladyjacks accounted for 13 runs.
SFA and Nicholls will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:00 p.m.
-SFA-
