Stephen F. Austin
Prairie View A&M
SFA Storms Back to Down PVAMU, 7-4
4/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin softball team showed a lot of fight on Wednesday afternoon at SFA Softball Field, using a five-run fifth inning to complete a big rally and defeat Prairie View A&M 7-4 in midweek non-conference action. With the win, the Ladyjacks improve to 12-26 overall on the season, including a 4-3 mark at home.
The Ladyjacks came out flat, allowing four unearned runs on four hits and three errors in the first inning to fall into an early 4-0 hole. The brand of play would improve drastically both offensively and defensively over the course of the game.
SFA threatened to put a big number on the board in the second inning after loading the bases with just one out, but had to settle for a single run. Autumn Holloway laid down a bunt single to lead off the frame and moved to third after Shalie Day walked and Taylor Fraccastoro was hit by a pitch. Holloway eventually scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1 in favor of PVAMU.
Fraccastoro took advantage of another miscue between pitcher and catcher in the fourth inning, scoring on a wild pitch.
The Ladyjacks put the game away in the fifth by scoring five runs on three hits and two errors. The inning was highlighted by RBI triples off the bats of Lindsay Campbell and Fraccastoro. Day also drove in a run during the scoring frenzy on a single to centerfield while Cassidy Ivy and Heather Hollingsworth were credited with RBIs after executing sacrifice squeeze plays.
When the dust settled, SFA had the 7-4 advantage -- a cushion it kept for the remainder of the afternoon. 
The new look to the bottom of SFA's order was efficient as Day and Fraccastoro combined to go 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI from the 8-9 holes.
After the Lady Panthers (5-20) scored four unearned runs in the first, starter Hannah Welch settled in for a nice outing in the circle. The junior tossed 5.2 innings, allowed nine hits and struck out three. She earned the win to improve to 3-3 on the year.
Callee Guffey was lights out to close the game for SFA, relieving Welch in the sixth inning. With only four outs needed to preserve the win, Guffey fanned three of four batters faced in perfect relief. The tidy 1.1 innings of work warranted Guffey's first save of the year.
SFA will return to Southland Conference action this weekend against Abilene Christian on Friday and Saturday for a three-game series. The Wildcats and Ladyjacks will open up with a doubleheader on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and conclude the set starting at noon on Saturday. Games will be played in Abilene.
-SFA-
