Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston State
SFA Falls Late at SHSU to Close Season
5/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The Stephen F. Austin softball team got a solid game from its senior captain Shalie Day, but couldn't fend off Sam Houston State on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 5-3 heartbreaker at Bearkat Softball Complex in the season finale. The Ladyjacks took one of three from the Bearkats on the weekend and close the season with a 19-32 record, including an 11-15 mark in Southland Conference play.
The Ladyjacks will finish in eighth place in the league standings -- one spot ahead of the Bearkats (19-28, 10-15 SLC).
Day led SFA at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Brittany Lewis, Lindsay Campbell and Taylor LeFlore each accounted for one of the Ladyjacks' three other hits in the contest.
The `Jacks struck first with a run in the top portion of the first inning. Heather Hollingsworth drew a leadoff walk, Alisa Hamilton reached on an error and Day advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Taylor Fraccastoro followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing pinch runner Annie Mehringer to touch home.
The Bearkats got a run in the bottom of the first and third innings to go ahead 2-1.
Day put SFA in a good position in the fourth inning, shooting a line drive single to the opposite field to start the frame. Fraccastoro took advantage of another SHSU error, putting Ladyjacks on second and third for Lewis. With nobody out, Lewis drove in a run on an RBI single right back up the middle to tie the game 2-2. Sam Houston got out of the jam without further damage using a triple play. In a bit of bad luck, Campbell was robbed of a base hit in center and Fraccastoro and Lewis were each picked off after the diving catch.
Mehringer drew a walk to begin the sixth inning and advanced to second on a Hamilton groundout. Day followed by ripping an RBI single down the left field line, putting SFA on top 3-2. Fraccastoro walked and Campbell beat out an infield single to load the bases, but the Ladyjacks couldn't do any further damage.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sam Houston got a three-run home run from Angelica Gonzales to go on top 5-3. Despite a leadoff single off the left field wall by LeFlore in the seventh, the Ladyjacks couldn't mount a rally.
In her 32nd appearance and 22nd start of the season for SFA, freshman Callee Guffey went the distance again in the circle. She allowed five runs -- four earned -- on six hits in 6.0 innings while striking out one.
The Ladyjacks will miss the contributions of seniors Shalie Day and Cassidy Ivy next season, but bring a wealth of talent back to the fray next year.
NOTE: Heather Hollingsworth left the game in the first inning after getting hit in the face by a softball on a pickoff attempt at first. She is doing well and will go to the doctor for an evaluation later this weekend.
-SFA-
