SFA Heads to Abilene for Three-Game Set
4/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Stephen F. Austin at Abilene Christian
Game One: Friday, April 10 · 4:00 p.m.
Game Two: Friday, April 10 · 6:00 p.m.
Game Three: Saturday, April 11 · 12:00 p.m.
Poly Well Field · Abilene, Texas
Live Stats: Game 1 · Game 2 · Game 3
Records: SFA (12-26, 4-10 SLC), Abilene Christian (9-26, 3-12 SLC)
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin softball team will make the long trip to Abilene, Texas for a three-game road series at Abilene Christian on Friday and Saturday this week. The Ladyjacks and Wildcats first play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 4:00 p.m. before meeting again at noon on Saturday.
SFA had two midweek non-conference games against Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M this past Tuesday and Wednesday. Despite being without their biggest offensive weapon as Brittany Lewis was ill, the Ladyjacks managed to split the two contests against the SWAC schools.
Heather Hollingsworth, Taylor LeFlore and Lora Blackwell each recorded multi-hit games in a 6-4 loss to TSU on Tuesday and RBI triples by Taylor Fraccastoro and Lindsay Campbell, to go along with a two-hit performance by Shalie Day, highlighted a 7-4 comeback victory against PVAMU on Wednesday at home.
Despite falling in an early 4-0 hole after the first inning against the Lady Panthers on Wednesday, the Ladyjacks clawed their way back for the win thanks to a five-run fifth inning. The comeback marked the first time this season that SFA had won a game when trailing after the first frame (1-12).
Freshman standout Callee Guffey used her first collegiate no-hitter last weekend against Houston Baptist to help SFA earn a 2-1 series victory and improve to 4-10 in SLC play. The Ladyjacks are currently in eighth place in the league standings with 12 games remaining. Every contest carries more and more weight down the stretch, as teams battle for the six spots into the SLC Tournament in May.
NOTES
Staff Ace
Freshman Callee Guffey has been lights out for the Ladyjacks over the last month. In 12 appearances since March 15, Guffey boasts a 1.73 ERA (12ER/48.2IP) with six complete games in six starts and has notched 45 strikeouts. Overall on the season, she ranks eighth in the league with a 3.27 ERA and is second with a 5.60 strikeouts per game average.
Road Warriors
The Ladyjacks have had their fair share of road games this season, playing a league-high 21 contests away from home compared to a league-low seven games on their home turf. SFA is currently 4-17 on the road entering the current three-game road swing. The squad has already won as many home games (4-3) in 14 fewer opportunities.
Homer Count
7 -- Brittany Lewis
6 -- Taylor Fraccastoro
3 -- Shalie Day
1 -- Katelyn Standley
Ducks on the Pond
The SFA outfielders have been efficient at the plate with runners in scoring position so far this season. Heather Hollingsworth leads the way with a .414 batting average (12-for-29) in run-scoring situations while Alisa Hamilton and Lindsay Campbell have also been proficient in that area. Hamilton and Campbell own respective batting averages of .360 (9-for-25) and .400 (8-for-20) when coming to bat with runners on second or third.
A Look at the Wildcats
Abilene Christian currently rests in the 10th spot among the 12 teams in the conference heading into the weekend series with a 9-26 overall record, including a 3-12 mark in SLC play. Most recently, the team dropped two of three games to Incarnate Word in San Antonio. ACU is led offensively by Peyton Hedrick and Taylor Brown. Hedrick owns an impressive .454 batting average with a team-high seven home runs and 30 RBI while Brown has hit at a .366 clip with a team-high seven triples and 31 runs in 35 games this year. Pitching has been a weakness for the Wildcats as their 6.43 team ERA is the second-worst in the SLC.
Looking Ahead
After the weekend battle with Abilene Christian, SFA will enjoy its longest homestretch of the 2015 season with five straight games at SFA Softball Field next week. ULM comes to town for a doubleheader on Wednesday before Incarnate Word ventures to Nacogdoches on Friday and Saturday.
-SFA-
