Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
Ladyjacks Split Doubleheader With Bearkats
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GM1: SFA 3, SHSU 2
GM2: SHSU 2, SFA 1
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin softball team got a couple big hits from Taylor LeFlore and solid pitching efforts from freshmen Callee Guffey and Makayla Sikes on Friday afternoon in a doubleheader split with Sam Houston State. The Ladyjacks scored three runs in the sixth inning of game one to rally for a 3-2 victory before dropping a 2-1 decision in walk-off fashion in game two.
LeFlore provided SFA with timely hits in both games on Friday afternoon. Trailing 1-0 entering the sixth inning of game one, the Ladyjack third baseman got her team on the board with an RBI single through the right side, and later scored what proved to be the winning run.
In the second inning of the nightcap, LeFlore drove home the Ladyjacks' lone run of the game on an RBI single down the right field line. Overall on the day, she went 3-for-6 with a run and two RBI.
Both Guffey and Sikes were sharp in the circle for the Ladyjacks (19-31, 11-14 SLC). In seven complete innings to start the day, Guffey surrendered just two runs on five hits and struck out three en route to her 11th winning decision of the year.
Sikes was cruising through game two, dealing one of her best games of the season, before Alexis Garcia hit a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh for Sam Houston State (18-28, 9-15 SLC). Sikes spun 6.2 scoreless frames with just two hits allowed before the game-ending home run. She struck out three batters.
Taylor Fraccastoro joined LeFlore with three hits between the two games while Heather Hollingsworth, Alisa Hamilton and Lindsay Campbell each notched two hits on the day.
In the sixth inning of game one, Fraccastoro and Brittany Lewis hit back-to-back singles and then advanced a bag after Campbell laid down a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, LeFlore drove in Fraccastoro on a single to right, tying the game at 1-1. It was then Autumn Holloway's turn to provide a clutch two-out RBI hit as she ripped a single up the middle to send Lewis home for the go-ahead run.
Before the inning was over, Hollingsworth beat out an infield single, sending LeFlore around to score the Ladyjacks' third run of the game. The two-run cushion was plenty for Guffey as the Ladyjacks held on to win 3-2.
The Ladyjacks struck first in game two. Campbell crushed a double to the gap in left center to lead off the second inning and was able to get to third thanks to a Taylor Vick grounder hit to the right side of the infield. LeFlore did the rest, sending a line drive into right field for another RBI single. SFA held the 1-0 cushion until the bottom of the seventh.
The Ladyjacks will look to close out the 2015 season with a win over the Bearkats in the series finale on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
-SFA-
